


The reports about my love life have been greatly exaggerated

by Amerna



Series: Chronicles of the Star Spangled Tabloid Love Affair [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Celebrity culture, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Gen, I’m not even sorry for this, Media Circus, Paparazzi, Slow Burn, inspired by classical literature, there are gratuitous references too, there's a thin line between love and hate, they are probably rolling in their graves as you read this, yes I took cues from Shakespeare and Jane Austen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-09
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-03-22 02:36:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 114,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3711628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amerna/pseuds/Amerna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>We are dominated by Journalism. […] The tyranny that it proposes to exercise over people’s private lives seems to me to be quite extraordinary. The fact is, that the public have an insatiable curiosity to know everything, except what is worth knowing. ~ Oscar Wilde</i>
</p><p>When an accidental meeting between two strangers is blown way out of proportions Darcy Lewis finds herself in the middle of a media onslaught that proclaims her to be “Captain America’s super cute ordinary lady love”. The problem however: She barely knows the man and what she sees of him doesn’t really leave her with a favourable opinion. So while the press quickly finds the perfect couple nickname for them and has them practically married in seven different ways till Sunday, she’s still trying not the slap the guy. But still, their epic love story is all over the papers, and what’s in the papers must be true, right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my lovely beta [KByrd](http://archiveofourown.org/users/kbyrd) for bearing with me butchering the English language.
> 
> And hugs for my fandom life partner [Fiora](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Fiora/pseuds/Fiora), who put up with my ramblings and crazy story ideas and moaning and sudden bouts of creativity at 2 in the morning.
> 
> The story is now available to **download** [here (dropbox link)](https://www.dropbox.com/s/xhnrqc6sjqpyosx/ReportsFormatted.pdf?dl=0) or [here (google drive)](https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3NCb8xCY4XhNGZjaDdZSkFocnM/view) since the pdf function here screws with the custom formatting. It includes both “The reports about my love life have been greatly exaggerated” and “The Public Perception Game” (at the end).
> 
> I hope this works! If there are any problems, please let me know.

### Prologue

It would have been a cute meeting even without the media involvement.

Steve went to the Strand Bookstore because it was something that had been around when he had first lived in New York and it felt a bit like home. And they had an amazing selection of rare and used books. He was in the middle of perusing a book about Malcolm X when his phone went off. It was a message from Clint summoning him back to the tower immediately.

Darcy, on the other hand, was on her way to the Strand to spend her last free hours of freedom (before starting her job at the tower the next day) at the famous bookstore she had heard so much about. After relocating to New York, finding an apartment and starting her Master’s at Columbia University, Darcy was looking for a bit of break.

They both reached the door at the same moment and ran into each other. Darcy’s purse fell to the floor with half of its contents falling out. She wobbled for a moment, trying to regain her footing, until two arms caught her at the waist and she placed her hand on said arms to steady herself. They remained interlocked for a few seconds, just looking at each other and then gingerly released each other.

“I’m so sorry,” they both said immediately, bending down to retrieve the fallen items from the floor.

“I think this is yours,” Steve said, placing the iPod into her hands.

“Thanks,” she smiled up at him.

“I hope it’s not broken…”

“Trust me, it’s had worse.”

“Are you all right?” he asked, looking at her face searchingly and then realised that he was still holding her hand. He promptly let go.

“Yup, takes a bit more than a collision with a very muscled chest to break me.”

He grinned at her comment and opened his mouth as if to respond, when his phone started ringing again, the caller ID indicating that it was Tony.

“Sorry, I really have to take this.”

“Don’t let me keep you.”

He went outside and spoke in very clipped tones walking quickly down the sidewalk and out of her sight while she looked after him for a moment and then went inside the store.

So they both went their separate ways. The next day Darcy might have told Jane about her meeting with the totally cute and polite guy at the bookstore but would have quickly forgotten about it. Steve might have remembered the brunette with the blue eyes for a few more hours until his search mission required all of his attention. They both would have laughed about it weeks later when Steve would return from his overseas assignment and turn out to be said mystery bookshop guy.

But as it were: Neither of them could guess that Owen Mills, intern at the Daily Ledger, who had caught the whole exchange on camera, was ready for his first big scoop.

The entry on the newspaper’s website less than two hours later with embedded grainy pictures of Captain America holding hands and being generally very touchy-feely with a mystery brunette read as follows:

**_Captain caught canoodling with captivatingly beautiful brunette!_ **

Intrepid _Daily Ledger_ reporters caught our notoriously camera shy superhero out and about with a mystery brunette in tow! It’s good to know that he has found time from his saving the world adventures and gotten himself a real life girlfriend. Official statements on their relationship status are of course as of yet unavailable. But seeing these two in a loving embrace, it’s clear that we will see a lot more from them in the future.

So fate had already conspired against them once, it seemed. It further added to the conspiracy, because all the celebrities that were usually good for a scandal or two must have simultaneously gone on holiday. There were no unexpected divorces, no surprise pregnancies, no cheating scandals, no alcohol excesses or drug stories to report. There was nothing to take away the spotlight. So the unexpected story about Captain America’s love life was taken up by all the major news outlets.

Editors began to scramble, photos of Captain America were taken from the archives, the historical knowledge about America’s favourite superhero was freshened up and when the name of the lady love was finally revealed, the hunt for the perfect nickname for the two lovebirds began in earnest.

And when Darcy Lewis looked at her phone the next morning, she had 173 new friend requests and 68 missed messages.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG, thank you so much for your kind reactions to the prologue! You guys are great! I hope I can meet your expectations!
> 
> Timing wise: I'm still reworking chapter 2 and 3 and I will post them when I am able (I don't have a strict schedule and I have a lot going on in my RL at the moment). Spoiler wise: I'm watching Age of Ultron on the weekend with my fandom life partner Fiora (Germany gets it a week earlier than the states). I will not update this story before the movie has been released in the states. I think it's needless to say that there will be no AOU spoilers here and this story will obviously not be AOU compliant ;)

### Chapter 1

As a child of the internet generation, Darcy thought she had celebrity culture figured out. It was kind of a barter, she’d figured, where people were in the spotlight to promote or sell something (a movie, a book, their life, whatever). She had taken part in it herself, hadn’t she? Sometimes it was fun reading the glossy magazines about people she would never meet.

Of course there were those crack articles in the publications of ‘a certain repute’ but nobody really took those seriously, didn’t they? She’d always thought that people in the spotlight were willing participants. That was, until she was suddenly dropped right in the centre of it – without being asked. And nothing could prepare anyone for a media storm hitting when you were in the midst of all the rumours.

Her first instinct upon seeing her mobile phone in the morning, blown up with messages, was that either somebody had died or there must have been another attack on earth. She tried calling Jane immediately but she didn’t pick up. She then listened to her messages one by one, becoming increasingly irritated by people either asking her about a comment on her romance with Captain America or offering their services to represent her public relations interest.

What the hell had happened over night? What were people talking about? Where did they get her number? Was this a case of mistaken identity? A very bad prank? An alternate universe?

She marched to her desk, turned on her laptop and googled herself – and nearly fell of her chair.

Her search returned more than a thousand hits, mostly news articles from the last 12 hours, but also forums and other threads discussing her status as Captain America’s girlfriend. What the heck?

Of course she’d had googled herself before, especially after all of SHIELD’s files had been dumped onto the internet to see it she was mentioned somewhere – which she wasn’t. But since her searches on Jane Foster, Thor and the whole Puente Antiguo incident hadn’t turned up any results either she figured that somebody had either taken care of not leaking it to begin with or of deleting it before the data had become a public good.

That didn’t explain how she had suddenly ended up as the supposed girlfriend of Captain America, Thor’s brother in arms, whom she had never met. She clicked on a random news link and saw the picture at the top of the article. She groaned and buried her head in her hands for a second.

So apparently she had met him, by accident, yesterday. She enlarged the blurry picture obviously taken from a distance to look at it more closely. It was kind of hard to recognize Captain America in civilian clothing. She knew that obviously he wouldn’t run around in his uniform all the time, but then… dressed in jeans and a motorcycle jacket, he looked like a random person, granted, a very fit and muscled random person, but not like the leader of men he was portrayed to be.

She tried to take the perspective of a bystander who didn’t know what had really happened between the two of them. So maybe it looked like they were holding hands and looking lovingly into each other’s eyes, but still, didn’t reporters do their research before they put random articles on the internet?

She clicked on a few more links and found more details about their romance and herself. Details of her life that definitely weren’t freely available on the internet. Apparently some of her acquaintances had had no scruples about selling out her life story to the media vultures. Added to the fact that it was common knowledge that she worked for Jane Foster, who in turn worked for Stark Industries, and the media had all but written an entirely assumed workplace romance with Captain America.

She closed her laptop and stood up. What was she supposed to do now? Call every single one of the magazines to categorically deny those stories? There was nothing she could do about it, really, she figured. It was not her responsibility to comment (or not). Somebody in Team America would release something during the course of the day and put an end to the speculation. Some other story about a celebrity breakup, wedding or baby would take their place in the news cycle and it would all be over soon. She would probably laugh about it this time next week.

~*~

“You and Captain America? What? A couple?” Jane looked surprised at Darcy’s story, which Darcy had told her immediately once they were alone in the lab after their mandatory first day at work routine, which had included a lot of safety instructions and even more paperwork.

“I know!”

“But you’ve never met him! Have you?”

“Nope… well, apparently once, yesterday, in his civilian persona, but yeah…”

“And you did what exactly to start these rumours?” Jane eyed her suspiciously. “Anything you want to share with me?”

“Nothing!” Jane looked like she wasn’t entirely convinced. “Jane, how long have you known me? Would I keep a serious romance with Thor’s comrade a secret from you? No I wouldn’t. So the other option is that I engaged into a very passionate display of PDA with a total stranger who later turned out to be Captain America? Also not very likely. The true story is that we ran into each other, he helped me gather my stuff, he was polite, he left, end of story. Here, let me show you.”

Darcy started her computer at her brand new workstation and typed her own name into Google. Jane had come standing next to her to look at the screen.

“See, that’s the offending picture. The only one available I might add. And there’re some details about me in the articles. You know, student girl, working for you, where I probably threw myself into Captain America’s path. So we met and fell madly in love.”

“That’s crazy.”

Darcy just nodded. “I know.”

“But you two look really close in that picture…”

“Yup, but nothing happened.”

“And what’s going to happen now?”

Darcy just shrugged. “I imagine the ball is in their corner. Captain America’s love life is a serious issue. The Avengers PR team probably has a plan for this, don’t you think? And a contingency plan? And a contingency plan for their contingency plan? And even if not, it’s probably going to blow over soon, seeing that it has no foundation at all.”

To be on the safe side, Darcy set up a Google alert for her own name. She then went to work with Jane and mostly forgot about the issue. There still were incoming messages on her phone but she ignored all of them. When she arrived in her tiny flat late at night, she was too tired to look if anything had happened during the day regarding the speculation about her love life and went to sleep immediately.

She thought she might still be asleep and dreaming when she saw her own face greeting her from the cover of several magazines the next day. She went past the newsstand on her commute into work every morning and was definitely not prepared for her own face and that of Captain America looking back at her. She stopped dead in her tracks, her jaw had probably unhinged and was now lying on the floor. She shook her head trying to get rid of her dream or her hallucination of whatever her subconscious had conjured up to deal with yesterday’s surprise, but the pictures wouldn’t go away. Her first instinct was to buy every single issue and burn them so that they would never see the light of day again, but that wouldn’t work. Instead she wondered why her alleged love affair with a national icon now warranted the cover story of US weekly, OK! and several other publications. She shook her head again, gathered her thoughts and went to her subway station.

There were several photographers waiting at the front entrance of the tower. The security guards were looking at them with murder in their eyes, but since they were all in a public space, they couldn’t do anything about it. Approaching the tower, Darcy wondered who they were waiting for. Maybe some celebrity was visiting the tower trying to get a photo op with at least one of the Avengers?

And then they spotted her.

“There she is!” one of them screamed, pointing in her direction, getting his camera ready.

Darcy looked behind her trying see who had appeared behind her and if she should be interested in getting an autograph, but she didn’t recognize anybody. Suddenly there were sounds of cameras clicking and flashes everywhere. And then they started calling her name.

For the second time that day she just froze on the spot. That didn’t keep the paparazzi from cornering her.

“Hey Darcy, look here, look here!” one of them loudly said, trying to get her attention.

“Where is your Captain? Are you not living at the tower with him?”

“Give me your prettiest smile! I’m going to make you famous!”

“Darcy, Darcy, Darcy, Darcy, Darcy!”

“Over here, Darcy!”

“How long have you been going out, Darcy?”

“Are you going to meet him at the tower, Darcy?”

For a few seconds she just stood on the spot, trying to figure out what was happening, trying to gather her courage, trying to get her feet move so she could get through the throng of people taking her picture. It was like they attracted more and more attention by the second. People passing by looked up from what they were doing trying to find out which celebrity had appeared in the middle of Manhattan, some of them got out their mobile phone and snapped some pictures of her.

She took a deep breath and walked ahead, her eyes fixed firmly on the ground, ignoring the loud voices and the cameras. The last few steps to the tower took half an eternity. She almost flung herself into one of the security guards’ arms when he opened the door for her and closed them in front of everybody’s face.

She stood in the entrance hall to the tower, breathing hard, trying to take in her surroundings. What the hell had just happened?

“Ma’am, can I see some ID please?”

She looked up at the security guard, startled. “Oh, of course,” she said, gathering her wits and digging her employee ID out of her purse so that he could look at it. “Um, I work here. I really don’t know what that was all about,” she added apologetically, pointing at the paparazzi now again loitering outside.

“It seems like you have suddenly become a person of interest to them,” he just said.

“Oh boy.”

“Any particular reason for the press scrutiny?” he asked.

“They… um… seem to be under the impression that I’m dating Captain America?”

“I see,” was his only reaction.

Darcy ran one hand through her hair and then led out a deep breath. “Wow… um… wow. I hadn’t expected this… at all,” she said mostly to herself. “Wow. This is bad… this is so, so, so very bad.”

“There’s no reason to panic,” the security guard said.

“No reason to panic?” she just repeated, her voice suddenly sounding shrill. “I don’t want them to wait for me! I don’t want them to follow me home! To follow me everywhere! Oh my god, somebody needs to take care of this. Somebody… somebody has to do something.” She looked up at the security guard who looked at her, probably assessing if she was about to start crying on the spot or not and if he had to keep her from making a scene in the lobby. “I’ll… I’ll just get to my desk and start talking to people,” she just said, numbly.

He just nodded and let her through to the check-in station where she waved her badge and took the elevator up to the labs. She still couldn’t believe what was happening to her. Something had to be done about this.

~*~

She called her mother first.

“Darcy, darling,” her mother answered the phone with her customary cheer, “what an unexpected surprise. How are you doing in that big city of yours?”

“I’m doing okay. How are things at home?”

“Quiet as usual.”

“Oh, okay. Good.”

“You sound surprised. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just-” Darcy decided there was no way to not state this directly. “Mom, whatever you hear, read or see during the next days, your daughter is not dating Captain America.”

She was met with a moment of silence on the other end. “Okay?” her mother then just said.

“I don’t really want to go into the details,” Darcy continued, “but there is a picture floating around from an accidental meeting that was heavily misinterpreted and now there’s the speculation that I’ve hooked up with the first avenger. I have not, I don’t even know him.”

“Okay… but I wouldn’t have minded if you did, really. He’s cute… and that butt of his in spandex-“

“Mom!”

“And I’m sure his aura is extraordinary.”

“Seriously, that’s what you are focussing on?”

“What? You said you have nothing to do with him. So I can, you know, speculate…”

“Yeah okay, but I’ve been getting a lot of attention from paparazzi on this and I’m waiting for his… team to… do something so I might need to lay low for a bit. And please don’t believe a thing of what is written about me. And don’t say anything to anybody – except dad, that is.”

“Sure, whatever you say, darling. Will you accidentally meet him again?”

“No! As I said, I don’t even know him.”

“But you know Jane and Jane knows Thor and Thor knows Captain America,” her mother pointed out.

“That’s right,” Darcy admitted. “But if we were to meet, it would not make the tabloid stories any truer. We are not dating, we are not having a hot romance, affair, whatever. I just wanted to give you some warning.”

“Thank you, dear. I’ll take it into consideration.” Her mother was silent for a moment, then: “So no spontaneous remarks to complete strangers on how much I would like some grandchildren?”

“No!”

A few hours later her father texted her: Your mom told me. If I had to find out from the papers that my daughter is dating a guy old enough to be her grandfather, I would have been mad.

She smiled at this and continued her search for somebody at Stark Industries responsible for the Avengers PR. Hopefully this would all be over soon.

~*~

Stark Industries, as it turned out, was a mess if you wanted to talk to somebody specifically. During her morning she found out that the only Avenger to currently reside at the tower was Bruce Banner, whom she had met on her first day because his lab was next to Jane’s. Everybody else had disappeared. Thor had gone back to Asgard for a while (which Jane had told her but what was apparently not common knowledge) and Natasha Romanoff had gone off the grid after her appearance in front of the Senate subcommittee. Supposedly Tony Stark and Hawkeye and another unnamed friend had accompanied Captain America on some undercover assignment nobody officially knew anything about but everybody kept speculating about.

It took Darcy a good part of her morning to find the head of public relations only to be stonewalled on the phone by his assistant.

“Nathaniel Gibson’s office, Willow Mitchell speaking, how may I help you?”

“Hi, this is Darcy Lewis from research and development. May I speak to your boss, please?”

“I’m sorry, Miss Lewis, but Mr Gibson is currently unavailable. But you are welcome to leave a message. What is the reason for your call?”

“Um, this is rather delicate, I would prefer to speak with Mr Gibson directly.”

“He is a very busy man and currently unavailable. Please state the reason for your call and we will return your call to discuss your issue at our earliest convenience.”

“Um… okay… this is about the articles being written about Captain Roger’s private life at the moment.”

“I’m sorry, Miss Lewis,” the assistant interrupted her on the spot, her voice cold, “but we don’t comment on Captain America’s – or any other Avenger’s – private life, even or rather especially not to employees. Please do not call again.”

“But–“ Darcy started, only to find out that the assistant had already hung up on her.

She went for direct confrontation next. It took her another hour to find out where the PR department in the tower was situated. She went for Nathaniel Gibson’s office directly, only to be confronted with his assistant again.

“Hello Miss, how may I help you?” she said airily.

“Hi, Miss Mitchell, this is Darcy Lewis again – we spoke on the phone this morning?”

The assistant looked at her with an air of pity and disgust. She had already sorted Darcy into the rabid fangirl category then.

“I’m sorry, Miss Lewis, but as I mentioned before our policy is not to comment on any allegations concerning the Avenger’s private life.”

“See, here’s the thing: I’m part of these… allegations.”

“Excuse me?”

Darcy put several print outs from the internet and two of the magazine with her face on the cover (which she had found and bought at the little inhouse store ten minutes ago) on Willow Mitchell’s desk.

“This is me, right there. And the accompanying stories are about my alleged love affair with Captain America. I trust you’ve heard about this? I mean, I’ve been asked to comment… So you have probably been asked to comment and given them your standard ‘no comment’ answer. Wow, that’s a lot of comment in that sentence… But, I’m rambling. The thing is, it’s turning into a major problem for me and I would like your, or rather, your boss’ input.”

“This is really not what we deal with, Miss–“

“Lewis,” Darcy supplied through clenched teeth.

“Miss Lewis, we don’t deal with any private matters of any Avengers. We–“

“Stop right there,” Darcy interrupted her, not caring if she was impolite or not. “This is a major problem. I had problems getting into work this morning because paparazzi were lying in wait for me. My name and my life story are all over the internet. You have to do something because this is going to grow and there’s going to be some repercussions for the Captain, too. You don’t want his name being flaunted all over the yellow press in conjunction with me, a random girl. It’s not good for his image.”

“Miss Lewis, we understand your predicament, but really, there is nothing we can do. I’m afraid the Captain himself has set up a very strict ‘no comment’ policy from which we will not waver.”

“But what about me? The Captain and his policies are nice and understandable and all but he doesn’t have to deal with this interrupting his private life.” Darcy hated how whiny she sounded and took a deep breath to steady herself. “He is a public figure, I didn’t sign up for any of this. You have to do something!”

Miss Mitchell looked at her for a second. “This certainly is an unusual situation. Why don’t you give me your contact details and I’ll talk to my boss about this? We can see what we can do then.”

It took every ounce of Darcy’s self-control not to start yelling. She couldn’t believe it; she was getting the brush off. At the last second she decided against antagonizing Miss Mitchell further since a tiny shred of hope remained that she could actually help her to get out of the predicament at some point. “Thank you, that would be lovely. I work at the tower, so feel free to call me at my desk any time. And if you don’t reach me there, this is my personal contact data.”

It took them a week to call back and set up a meeting. By that point the paparazzi had already figured out where she lived, where she studied, her timetable, her laundromat and her grocery store.

She was not the only one affected by this, her parents were seeing a lot more attention as well. On the fourth day after the surprising revelation about Captain America’s love life, her mother texted her a picture of paparazzi camping out in front of their house, resulting in a phone call with her father.

“Darcy,” he tried to calm her down, “I’m a lawyer, I looked this up. There’s nothing we can do. They are in a public space. We have to let them be.”

“But why you? Isn’t it clear that I am in New York? I don’t know where the Captain is, but it’s not like we are suddenly going to appear at your house for an impromptu ‘meet the parents’, is it?”

“They want to cover all the bases. It will just wash over.”

Darcy pinched the bridge of her nose. “That’s what everybody keeps telling me and I thought that too, but at this point I’m not sure about this anymore.”

“You never know how the 24 hour news cycle might work in your favour,” he just stated.

Darcy snorted at this. “Or how it is working against me, against us. Seriously, at this point probably only Beyoncé announcing child number 2 would take away the spotlight. I’m just so mad that you are in there too, dad.”

“Really, do not worry about us. We are fine. There’s really nothing they can report on us. If anything they mostly annoy the neighbours because they are in everybody’s way, but that’s it. And really, your mom is kind of enjoying her increased status in the community now that her only daughter is thought to be dating the pillar of the American establishment.”

Darcy laughed at the last statement. “Thanks, dad. I just wish I had inherited your calm attitude on this.”

“You are only related to me by marriage, so there’s that. Your spitfire attitude is all your mom.”

“Thanks, dad. But please keep me posted.”

~*~

Here’s what Darcy had thought her first week at the tower would look like: She would help Jane get set up in the labs and take over most of the organisational stuff. She would bask in the glory that was Tony Stark’s high tech equipment, which would hopefully make some (or a lot) of her work easier. Maybe she would have the chance to meet Tony Stark himself again. She’d met him once in London already when he had tried to get the band together under the pretence of recruiting one of the world’s foremost experts in astrophysics into Stark Industries. She had liked Tony and it had been a bit of a snark fest extraordinaire. She would spend time with Thor when Jane was too busy doing science. Maybe she would also get the chance to meet some of the other Avengers but that wasn’t a given, seeing that some of them had just thrown over a secret government organisation and then vanished into thin air. She would attend her lectures at Columbia and start learning additional stuff in her field of expertise, which would at some point in the future hopefully enable her to get a real job.

What she didn’t expect was being ambushed by photographers on her second day into work. Or seeing her face on the cover of several magazines on said way into work. Getting ambushed by paparazzi on campus two days later hadn’t been part of her plan either. They had followed her everywhere. The most spectacular headlines were generated out of a shot of her getting lunch at a coffee shop on campus, sitting all by her lonesome self, listening to her iPod, looking wistful. The accompanying articles had depicted her almost as some kind of war widow, waiting for her beloved soldier to return home to her. Since there were – obviously – no new pictures of her and Captain America together being so very much in love that people started to become more creative by the hour.

Based on her encounter with the assistant, Darcy shouldn’t have been surprised by the silence from the other side, but still. This was Captain America’s private life everybody seemed to talk about. It was trending on Twitter, Captain America’s facebook (his only official social media presence) was flooded with posts, by day four they had a ship name, articles kept being released, the speculation became more and more unbelievable.

But even as the whole media circle closed in on them, essentially, nothing really happened. Everybody kept quiet and she and Jane became more flabbergasted by the hour, to say the least. Was nobody prepared for this sort of thing? Why did nobody interfere?

It’s not that Darcy had expected to be summoned into Pepper Potts’ office at some point to be given a stern lecture about accidentally despoiling a national icon and then having to swear on the constitution to never do it again (granted, she wouldn’t have minded meeting one of her role models, even if she had envisioned meeting the great Pepper Potts under different circumstances), but still it would have been comforting to know that somebody cared about her, Darcy Lewis, the person, not the celebrity girlfriend. Were they all keeping silent hoping it would all wash over eventually? Because if that was their plan, a toddler could see that this was not going to work. They were already beyond the point where they should screw with their rules and policies and have a prepared statement released to tell everybody that Captain America was in fact not dating anybody, too busy saving the world and faithful to every single American.

~*~

**Mod Post – Re: Darcy Lewis**

So, we guess by now we’ve all seen that photo. And if you don’t know what photo we are talking about: either you have been living under a rock these past few days or just lucky you. We think another reminder is in order to repeat that no discussion about the Captain’s love life whatsoever will be tolerated here. We operate on a strict “His private life is private” policy, from which we will not waver – **_ever_**. Let’s just hope he’s happy, that’s all that matters. Further discussion on this will be deleted without comment.

~*~

By the time Willow Mitchell finally called her back, a week had passed, by which time the Daily Ledger alone had sold 200,000 copies of their latest issue with the breaking news about ‘Captain America’s secret relationship including all the exclusive footage from the couple’s day out.’ Darcy had given up on a return call altogether and was surprised when she was ordered into a meeting with the head of PR for the next day.

She hadn’t really expected much from her meeting, but even her low expectations were apparently too high.

She didn’t mind being kept waiting for 10 minutes for the appointment when she herself had been on time, but in the corner office with the designer furniture and the polished desk, she felt majorly out of place. She looked around and asked herself if Nathaniel Gibson wanted to go for the “I’m so important how dare you to take up any of my valuable time” intimidation technique.

Apparently he was. He stormed into his office without sparing her a glance and sat down behind his desk, idly sorting his files. Then he finally looked at her.

“Miss… Lewis, how can I help you?”

Darcy placed the newspaper articles and printouts about her and Captain America on his desk. By now she had quite a collection. And she wanted to be a professional here.

He only took a short glance at it and then pushed it away.

“Well, I wanted to know what your strategy on this is,” Darcy said.

“Strategy?”

“The pictures and the related stories have been in the mainstream media for a few days now. Shouldn’t you, as a spokesperson for the Avengers and their leader, provide some sort of comment? You know, make it essentially go away?”

“Sorry, but the Captain is not available to comment,” he said tonelessly, like he was reading a prepared statement from a paper.

“Then get him available to comment.”

“Miss Lewis, that’s really not possible,” he leaned back into his chair and steepled his hands under his chin. “The Captain is a very busy man and as such, is currently unreachable. But even if he were here, he would probably stand by his no comment policy, I can assure you.”

“Really?” Darcy drew out the first syllable. “His mantra of keeping America’s citizens safe ‘no matter what’, doesn’t apply to the little problem I’m having? Thanks to him I might add?”

“This is really not the time to be sarcastic.” He still looked unimpressed, which made Darcy more furious by the second.

“Well, you try not being sarcastic in the wake of the press invading my privacy every waking moment and even dragging my parents in too and then essentially being told ‘suck it up and deal with it, biatch.’”

He leaned forward and looked into her eyes. “Miss Lewis, we are trying our best here. What we can offer you is an apartment in the tower so that you don’t have to deal with paparazzi on your commute into work. That should relieve you of some of the pressure, I guess?”

“What about them chasing me around campus? And stalking my parents?”

“That’s outside of our mandate, I fear… And we would hate to get into conflict with the city of New York again. And over a personal matter, too.”

“Of course you would,” Darcy commented, deadpan.

“There’s no need to be rude about this. We are doing our best and this is not our first rodeo. I can tell you, this will all be over in a week once the press finds other things to report. A month from now you will laugh about this and have already returned to the blissful life you led before this little episode.”

“And let me tell you: My name will forever be imprinted on the internet in conjunction with having a little fling with America’s most beloved superhero. Or maybe not a little fling but a full blown love affair because this will not wash over as quickly as you think. This isn’t your ordinary ‘Tony Stark got his naked butt all over Youtube again’ story. This is Captain America’s love life. For the first time in forever people have found something to report on his private life. If you don’t do anything about containing it, it will get bigger than you ever imagined.”

“I would really prefer for you not to tell me how to do my job,” he said coldly. “I’m a PR professional; you are not. So, about you moving into the tower?”

“I graciously accept your kind offer,” Darcy said, sarcasm dripping from every syllable.

“I will have an apartment prepared for you immediately. You should be able to move in by tomorrow.”

“Thank you. And I really don’t want to be right about this, but I will be. Mark my words.”

~*~

Living in the tower was simultaneously the best and the worst decision she could make. On the plus side, her apartment was closer to Jane, who also lived in the tower and was her only remaining friend in the city. They could have girl nights when Thor was out and if she wanted to cut it close, she only had to get up 10 minutes before she had to appear at work.

Work was nice too. She liked assisting Jane and occasionally Bruce, who was the sweetest person on the planet – and had either heard nothing about the rumours about her and the Captain or chose to ignore them. She had briefly entertained the idea of asking him to contact Captain America on this matter directly but then rejected the idea because she didn’t want to appear like the nerdy fangirl in front of him. At this point there wasn’t much the Captain could do anyway.

Her apartment was also rent-free and bigger than anything she could ever have afforded on her own in the middle of Manhattan. It was fully furnished with designer furniture and came with a set of Stark Industries high end state of the art appliances.

But it was also very cold, empty and alone. Even her few personal belongings, which she had carried from Culver to Puente Antiguo to London and then to New York couldn’t add much of a homey feel to it.

And despite Jane’s nearness, Darcy actually felt incredibly lonely at times. She had looked forward to spending time on campus with fellow students, normal people, who had never met the God of Thunder or any of the other Avengers and knew nothing about drilling holes into space to travel into other realms. Normal people with normal lives and normal problems. But that was no longer a possibility either, thanks to the never-ending stream of articles about her and her non-existent love affair with America’s boy scout superhero. Now she had to be suspicious about ulterior motives with every new person she met. All the people approaching her had some sort of agenda, it seemed. They either wanted to know about her relationship status and/or more about the Captain himself.

Apparently, she was a minor celebrity now.


	3. Chapter 2

### Chapter 2

She had one text message from Ian. “I’m sorry for this, but I have student loans to pay.” She squinted at his message, not really knowing what he meant by that and asked herself if she should reply or not. She decided against it, because the headlines the next day made his cryptic message crystal clear.

**Ex-lover reveals all: How I was dragged into the London incident and how it started my convoluted relationship with an adrenaline junkie**

**Dangergirl Lewis**

**Starcy: Adrenaline Junkies united!**

**Darcy – is she addicted to the high stakes superhero world?**

**Danger and exploitation: Darcy’s intern reveals all!**

Free from all the NDAs SHIELD had forced on him initially and which were all void now that the government organisation had gone belly up, Ian had sold their whole story and then more to the tabloids, becoming another name on the list of people who had no problem telling Darcy Lewis’ life story to the more than willing press. At this point it shouldn’t surprise her any more what the tabloid industry managed to unearth, but then reading about her sex life was another low blow.

And she was disappointed in Ian, really. Their split had been amicable. If you could call it a split to begin with. They hadn’t really dated, the adrenaline high and the “OMG, we just saved the world” had factored in a lot in their short relationship, which had mostly consisted of sex and helping Jane with science while she waited for Thor to return. With her relocation to New York and him continuing his studies in London, they had both agreed that they didn’t want to progress any further, so they had parted on good terms.

But the depressing thing was: Darcy could actually understand Ian’s reasons very well, too. Her delayed graduation due to changing her major a lot and now her continued education in one of the most expensive cities in the world meant a mountain of debt that sometimes made her not sleep so well at night. If she had had the possibility to make it disappear or at least decrease it a bit, she would have taken the opportunity as well. For Ian it was easy money; and a good chunk of it, too, because dirt on the girlfriend of America’s favourite son probably sold very well. He was a guy, too. So talking openly about his sexcapades didn’t really hurt his reputation and he would not be branded a slut for life. It would probably get him some grudging respect, too, from some quarters at least. He had slept with the girl who was now banging the super soldier; that had to account for something.

The tabloids took up the new angle with gusto and ran with it for a few more days. She resisted the urge to collect all links to the articles and send a very nasty email to the PR department, including a very snarky comment.

She didn’t feel very charitable towards most employees at Stark Industries to begin with. Even going to the cafeteria felt like running the gauntlet. She had gone there once in the beginning – an experience she didn’t want to repeat. She had felt curious gazes following her everywhere. She could hear the whisper and the chatter. Some people hadn’t even tried to lower their voices.

“Isn’t that–“

“I wonder if–“

“What does he see in her?”

She had nearly thrown her plate of spaghetti at a guy who had sat down next to her and had asked her boobs if she made a habit of “dating guys from the office, so to speak” and if she knew that she could only date down now that she had been in bed with an actual Avenger.

After that she had lunch at her desk.

Unfortunately, her status on campus wasn’t much better. She got a lot of looks and whispers from her fellow students. Only a few confronted her outright about her romance mostly in a way that made her want to punch them. But she was more annoyed by the people who obviously tried to be nice to her and get into her good graces for her access to the Avengers alone. She got very good at quickly deciphering whether people wanted to know about her personally or just use her for her supposed closeness to the Avengers, one of the most elite and close-knit group imaginable. She hated it.

It still irritated her how people could take the whole story without questioning it. Nobody asked her if she was really dating Captain America, they just assumed and then continued from there.

It even carried over to her academic life. How was she supposed to comment on the Avenger’s political aspirations and affiliations when the only one she had regular contact with while Thor was off Midgard was a super polite scientist who occasionally turned into a giant green rage monster? But when she said as much nobody believed her.

~*~

It is a common enough strategy: Make stars more human, more approachable, in order to increase their worth, improve their reputation or just sell a product. Let’s be honest here, her human, down-to-earth attitude is the reason we love Jennifer Lawrence talking about fries more than Gwyneth Paltrow telling us about white organic cotton shirts for 180 bucks.

We prefer our celebrities to be as human and as fallible as the rest of us so that we can pretend that they might be glamorous and rich and jetsetting around the world but we can still identify them as one of us. Being seen as human makes them more likeable and charming. If you want to improve a celebrity’s status, let him or her remark how they like lounging around in their pyjamas all day binge watching Netflix. A sudden increase in likeability is guaranteed in 99.9% of the cases.

One person where the sudden humanization does not work in his favour: Captain America.

In case you have lived under a rock these past weeks: Captain America has a girlfriend now. She’s a… girl, for the lack of a better description. Call her ordinary if you want to be kind. She’s still in college and very much the girl-from-next-door type. And while for every other major celebrity we would be swooning at our desks at such a dreamboat dating “one of us”, for the Captain it simply does not work like that.

When the surprising news (with some very touchy feely pictures) hit the news cycle, I was surprised to say the least. But happy for him, too. Everybody knows his unique story, so the Captain obviously deserves every bit of happiness he can get. But now that the initial surprise has died down and the scrutiny has begun I cannot help but involuntarily ask myself: What does the Captain see in her?

Maybe he is trying to make up for lost time? He spent his early twenties fighting in World War II – is that why he has chosen a mid-twenties girl as his partner? Does she make him feel young and provide him with an experience he’s never had himself? Is she, a carefree college girl, an antidote to his grim “I am perpetually saving the world” surroundings?

But even without the “Captain America is a national icon”-angle this doesn’t fit: A college girl and a highly-trained covert operative enhanced to the peak of human physicality? This doesn’t really seem like a match destined to last. It doesn’t seem like a match at all. They are basically from different worlds. And I know we all get the appeal of opposites attract, but then: We all know that such whirlwind love affairs mostly don’t last long after the initial infatuation has died down.

At this point, all we can do is speculate. Maybe at some point (if the relationship – despite all – progresses further), we will know. Maybe we will never know. The fact remains: The Captain has made his choice and we don’t like it.

~ Kayleen

~*~

“What are celebrity girlfriends supposed to be doing anyway?” Darcy said loudly into the silence in Jane’s lab.

“Huh?” Jane looked up from her notes. “You were saying?”

“I’m trying to figure out what girlfriends to famous people are expected to be doing, you know. When they are not trying to become more famous in their own right. When they are ordinary people like me.”

“And why is that?”

“Well, apparently I’m not behaving appropriately enough for being the significant other to America’s most beloved superhero.”

Jane raised an eyebrow at her. “I thought we’d agreed that you should stay away from certain parts of the internet.”

“Ah, but that’s the beauty of the forbidden fruit. I sometimes can’t help it. So I looked and I don’t know… I guess I’m trying to see the humour here?” Darcy shrugged. “Or if not the humour at least the logic about the world I was forced into?”

“I doubt there’s any logic behind it…”

“But it’s so weird… I mean, ordinarily you should be the first person I’d ask for advice, but you are not known as Thor’s girlfriend. And I’m guessing, even if you were, people would probably identify you as ‘revolutionary scientist Dr. Jane Foster’ first. But what am I supposed to be doing? I’m not really dating him and then I’m always his ‘ordinary student girlfriend’ – which fits well into his narrative of the all-American dreamboat, you know, but not in mine? So when I’m reading all these nasty comments about how I’m a disappointment and all I can’t help asking myself: What am I supposed to be doing? Especially if I were dating him?”

“I think you have to accept that you can’t please everybody. I hate to say it but you really have to ignore all this, I fear.”

Darcy just sighed. “I know… I’ll hopefully laugh about this at some point in the future but sometimes I’d really like some advice.”

“There’s always Pepper Potts…” Jane suggested.

Darcy snorted. “Right, because this is right up her alley.”

“You will never know if you don’t try,” Jane persisted.

“I doubt that dealing with rumours about my love life is one of her priorities when she’s off jetting around the world and setting up multi million dollar acquisitions of Korean companies. I think we’ve established that Stark Industries thinks they are not really responsible for any of this.”

“I think you are giving up too quickly. You let encounters with two admittedly horrible people cloud your judgement.”

“Jane-“ Darcy started.

“No, let me finish, Darcy. If you don’t want to bother anybody professionally at Stark Industries, fine, but think of the human factor.”

Darcy eyed her curiously for a moment. “What do you mean?”

“We tend to forget because it’s Pepper freakin’ Potts, basically untouchable these days, but I bet she had similar problems, as a person at least.”

Darcy just raised her eyebrows questioningly. “Huh?”

“Ugh,” Jane said, unnerved, “do I really have to give _you_ of all people a lecture on celebrity culture?”

“Yes, please, enlighten me,” Darcy said sarcastically.

Jane took a deep breath. “Pepper used to be Tony’s assistant back when he was changing them every two weeks. And suddenly he kept her on and I bet there were rumours from day one that she was sleeping with him. And if not then, I bet by the point he promoted her to CEO they came with a vengeance. She could definitely tell you how to develop a thick skin.”

“Good point,” Darcy conceded.

“Thank you.”

“If I were to ever meet the great Pepper Potts, I’ll ask her about it.”

Jane narrowed her eyes at her. “That sounded way too sarcastic to be heartfelt.”

“Well,” Darcy said with a shrug, “as great as Pepper Potts is, she probably would also not be able to determine what Captain America’s girlfriend should be doing. I mean, should I also only dress in red, white and blue? Should I be promoting peace and justice and freedom, the American way?”

Jane eyed her knowingly. “I know you are trying to downplay this, Darcy, and use sarcasm and humour as a defence mechanism but if you want to talk… I mean, I know your situation is unique but still, you don’t have to suffer through it alone…”

“But I am alone in this, Jane. Nobody cares about me, really.”

Jane looked at Darcy sharply.

“Which sounds more depressing now that I’ve said it out loud,” Darcy continued with a shake of her head. “And I know that I still have you and my parents and even Thor, but I feel like all the other people want project a persona onto me. They are making me into a person, which I’m not. I didn’t want any of this. And the people who could help are unavailable or unattainable for me.”

~*~

By week four Darcy had given up hiding from the press. They had long since abandoned their post in front of her parent’s house, seeing that she probably wouldn’t appear there any time soon. But in New York, the paparazzi were always there when she went outside. She might as well confront them with her head held high. If people wanted pictures of her grocery shopping, eating a sandwich or simply walking and reading in a park, they could have it. She had already given up so much and it hadn’t really helped. None of the interest had waned. She would just resume her boring normal life in the interim.

One encounter almost dissuaded her from her resolve however. She had gone to Bryant Park, the closest park to the tower, to take advantage of the nice autumn weather outside and to read her textbooks, when somebody sat down next to her.

She didn’t think much about it at first when she suddenly heard words being spoken next to her. “So, what’s your deal?”

She looked up at the newcomer irritated. It was a guy a little older than her, dressed in a suit and carrying a battered briefcase, who eyed her like a piece of meat. “Sorry what? Are you talking to me?”

“What’s your deal with Captain America?”

“Excuse me?”

“You are not really into this because you love him, right?”

She closed the book she had been reading with a snap. “What makes you say that? Have you been studying our frequent common appearances closely? Is it our body language that gives us away? Do I not look into his eyes adoringly enough?”

“Don’t try to be coy. You know that there’s only that one picture of the two of you together. Everything else is just conjecture.”

“You don’t say,” she remarked, which he ignored and continued on.

“But he is Captain America, everybody wants a piece of him. Which one do you want, Darcy Lewis? You have your 15 minutes of fame now. You are making good use of it, too, you know, playing the dependable, relatable one, the ordinary girl. So, the question is, what comes afterwards? What do you want? A position of power? Your own TV show? A book deal?”

Darcy sat back on the bench and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I’m still waiting for the part where you tell me where this pertains to you.”

“Hi, I’m Jeff, I’m a communications specialist,” he held out his hand, which Darcy didn’t take. “I can help you to play your cards right.”

She just looked at him with disbelief, raising an eyebrow, which he took as an invitation to continue with his sales pitch.

“Darcy, you are a smart girl, I can see it. You seem like one of those smart celebrity girlfriends, you can go places, not just be the adoring arm candy. Be honest with me, you don’t have to play your little girl-next-door so in love with the Captain act in front of me. You may be sleeping with him now but you are already planning the inevitable break up.”

“So, now that you’ve seen through my façade so thoroughly, why would I even trust you and let you in on my grand master plan?”

“I’m your best bet, I can help you to look like a pro at all times. We could be an amazing team together.”

Darcy stood up and gathered her things. “Right. Because everything you did just screamed trustworthy. You followed me here, from the tower I assume. You ambushed me in a public park when I clearly didn’t want to be interrupted. You judged me based on my gender, stuff you read on me on the internet and my paparazzi pictures. I’m not even sorry, but no, Jeff.”

“Come on, Darcy.” He had gotten up, too, to follow her. “I’m your best bet. I can make you famous, we can both get rich in the process. Your act might fool Captain America and the rest of the public but you don’t have to pretend with me.”

“Do you hear the gibberish you are talking? You don’t know me, you don’t know Captain America, your whole behaviour is appalling. Stop it, now.”

“You really are a tough nut to crack. Is it because it’s not just your story? Is the Captain in on it, too? Are you _both_ playacting? Is he trying to hide something? His homosexuality perhaps? Some secret government plan?”

“You are grasping at straws here.”

“Darcy, really–“

She turned around and looked at him with murder in her eyes. “Stop following me, you are being creepy. And I think as big as you talk you really don’t want to find out how my pretend or maybe not so pretend superhero boyfriend would react to me being ambushed. So, knock it off!”

~*~

Three days after the incident in the park she entered Bruce’s lab in the morning, to find that Tony Stark was there, sitting on Bruce’s workbench, talking to him.

“Clint back too?” she could hear Bruce asking, to which Tony just nodded.

“What about Steve?”

“He’s still going. I’m telling you, that boy has the determination of a pitbull. He’ll probably keep going until that flying boy Friday of his sits him down and tells him to stop. It’s a dead end and we should all return and re-group. And we could really use Natasha on this.”

“So you haven’t heard anything from her either?”

Tony shook his head. “No, she’s as elusive as–“ He stopped abruptly when he noticed her in the labs, which didn’t surprise her. Nobody talked openly about what the Avengers, or rather Captain America, Hawkeye and Iron Man, were doing exactly, which meant it was either very secret or deeply personal – or both. Tony was very good at masking his surprise at seeing her, though.

“Lewis!” He hopped from the workbench and motioned her to come closer. “Let me look at you. How are you? I trust you’ve been keeping everybody pretty busy and on a tight schedule around here?”

“As a matter of fact, yes.”

“Good, that’s what I’m paying you for.” Tony nodded approvingly.

“How about you? What have you been up to?”

“Oh, you know, this and that, seeing the world, saving the world, nothing special. Glad to be home, to be honest.”

“Are you becoming sentimental in your old age?” Bruce chimed in.

“Maybe… maybe not, it’s more like I missed the luxury and the comfort the tower provides. And Pepper would probably have hunted me down personally if I had missed the charity event next week.”

“Charity event?” Bruce echoed.

“Don’t tell me you forgot. You are supposed to attend, you know. Presenting a united front and all that.”

Bruce sighed. “That’s still a thing?”

“It’s still a thing.” Tony nodded.

“It’s ridiculous.”

“That’s what I keep telling PR, too, but they are quite set on it. They are the professionals after all…”

Only when Bruce and Tony both looked at her in surprise, did Darcy realise that she had snorted loudly. She hoped her contempt couldn’t be read as easily on her face. She was kind of glad to hear, though, that the PR department’s incompetence affected everybody, not just her own personal tabloid hell, and that other people kept questioning their methods.

“Anything you want to contribute to our discussion, Lewis?”

“Nope, not really. Just: How exactly are you supposed to present a united non-threatening front when a good part of your group is out twisting in the wind? Most importantly the one whose brother attacked New York two years ago and the duo that just took down a secret government agency, too?”

“Valid point,” Tony conceded.

“Maybe Steve will re-appear before the actual event?” Bruce suggested. “And Natasha too?”

“Right, no, the way I see it: not going to happen. We’ll have to make do without the poster boy for American righteousness. And maybe it's even better for Natasha not to be there, she would frighten a lot of people and probably leave a few of them in tears.”

Bruce just nodded knowingly. “What about Thor?” he then asked.

“If you want him, you can always go yell at Heimdal, I guess?” Darcy suggested, leading both men to look at her confusedly.

“Heimdal?” Bruce just said.

“He kind of handles the travel between realms from what I’ve heard,” Darcy explained. “I don’t really know how it works exactly, you have to ask Jane, but maybe Thor would be willing to cut his visit in Asgard short?”

“Doubtful,” Tony said, “it’s some diplomatic matter he has to attend to. We’ll make do without him, too. The three guys just have to be extra charming.” He thought for a moment. “What about you, Lewis, you coming?” Tony asked.

“To what exactly?”

“The annual Stark Foundation Charity event. It’s at the Met this time. It’s going to be great.”

“I don't think this is my place to be. I'm just the part time assistant slash student girl here. Attending a charity event? Not really my area. And I'd hate to be the cliché girl here, but I have nothing to wear, either.”

“Excuses, excuses,” Tony said with a smile and a throwaway gesture. “The last one can be rectified easily and the first one nobody has to know. You can hobnob with some of New York’s finest and most influential people. Make some valuable connections and all.”

“I don’t know. I don’t really want to crash the party.”

“You won’t. Jarvis, put Darcy Lewis on the guest list.”

“Noted, Sir.”

“I’m really not into this…” Darcy still protested.

“Come on, it’s going to be fun. Jarvis, get Jane to join us, she can convince you further. And the two of you can go shopping together for dresses and whatever you ladies need… It’ll be on the company’s dime, too, because you are representing Stark Industries.”

“Tony,” Darcy started.

“I will not budge, you know that right. Eccentric billionaire and all.”

She looked at Bruce for help, but he just shrugged. “He’s used to getting his way. You better give up now.”

Darcy sighed. “Fine, I’ll come.”

~*~

This had been a mistake, Darcy decided halfway through the evening. One huge mistake. She should never have attended the event. Trying to pinpoint the exact moment when the evening had gone downhill wasn’t that difficult. It had started when the many questions about her relationship with Captain America had started. Apparently, New York’s elite wasn’t above speculating about other people’s love life at all. She should probably have known…

It hadn’t taken that long, too. In the beginning Darcy, who had had arrived with Jane had actually felt proud of herself. Her hair and make-up were flawless and she looked great in the dress she and Jane had chosen on their shopping trip together. The shopping trip itself though had been featured in great detail in the press and blogs, especially the part about lingerie and underwear. Supposedly Darcy was only supposed to wear red, white and blue now. She congratulated herself that she had actually chosen a dress in a deep emerald colour.

Obviously she had skipped the red carpet part and entered through a back entrance and it had promised to be quite a party. Stark didn’t do anything by halves to begin with. The party was crowded with people; she could see some famous faces, too.

Tony – in his element – was already making rounds, greeting people. As was Pepper Potts, whose socialising was more subdued and more likely to make connections and get in people’s good graces. Darcy was sure she had spied Bruce’s hair somewhere, but then he was gone again. Obviously Hawkeye was also attending, but since she had never met him and all the freely available pictures of him were either grainy or blurry or simply a hoax, she didn’t recognize him in the crowd.

She was standing by herself and was just observing the room and trying to find Jane’s face in the crowd, because the latter had been stolen by Tony in order to be introduced to some scientist Jane “simply had to meet”, when she was accosted by someone new.

“You caught the white whale.”

A woman with supermodel proportions, who made Darcy in all her perfect finery for the night feel wholly inadequate compared to her, had come to stand next to her.

“I’m sorry?”

“You caught the Captain, I’m impressed. He’s handsome, rich, a do-gooder… Refused to date anybody for years after he was found. You know, people – both male and female – have tried to catch him, but he shot them all down. He’s a white whale.”

Darcy just looked at her, frowning, not sure what to say.

“Though,” her companion continued, “is he really as loaded as people say? You know, with military back pay and compound interest adding up to the millions?”

“What?”

“Am I being too forward? You sound so scandalized, I mean, that’s why you went after him, right? Fame and fortune? I’m Shelley by the way.”

For a moment Darcy was rendered speechless. Was she being recruited into the group of Celebrity Girlfriends United? “Darcy,” she then managed to say.

“Well, I knew that one already, obviously,” Shelley said with a tinkering laugh. “You are the new media darling. You and that handsome boyfriend of yours. Or should I say fiancé?” She looked at Darcy’s left ring finger, which Darcy had left unadorned for the exact reason of wanting to avoid questions and speculation. “So, how did you do it?”

“Um,” Darcy started, not sure what to say. Then she spotted Jane in the crowd and decided that avoidance was probably her best option in this situation. “Excuse me, my friend is waving at me. I have to go see her. Have a nice evening.”

She didn’t even get to tell Jane the crazy story when she finally reached her. The next few hours were a flurry of activity and being introduced to new people. At some point Darcy got tired of answering the same question over and over again, namely if her boyfriend, the one and only Captain America, was attending and where he was. Even when she told them that they were not really dating, people looked at her either with disbelief or started patronizing her, insisting that she could tell them the “whole truth” because it was “just between us.” Some people ignored her reaction altogether and proceeded to tell her what a cute couple they were and how much they were hoping that they would be very happy together.

At some point she just started ignoring the questions and comments and changed the topic. Sadly, that didn’t help her with fending off advances from guys who were talking exclusively to her boobs. It got worse during the night, the more alcohol people drank, the more their inhibitions went down.

“You are too good for him,” an older man, who had sneaked up on her and put a hand around her hips, started without preamble.

“What?” she jumped around in surprise and tried to fend off his wandering hand.

“A girl with your assets…” he leered down at her boobs, “tied down to the most boring Avenger? That’s a shame, really. I mean, he’s always so uptight, that has to translate to his private life, too, doesn’t it? He can’t be any fun in bed? So, if you need a good shag–”

She didn’t even wait for him to finish his proposition; she just emptied her drink into his face and then took two steps away from him. He looked at her, surprised, liquid dripping down his chin onto his tux. A few bystanders, who had caught the scene, looked at both of them, scandalized.

“It’s just water, it’ll dry. But never talk to me again.”

With that she marched off to the bar. While she waited to catch the bartender’s attention she debated if her decision to forgo alcohol was really a good idea. And announcing it to so many people, too. The pregnancy rumours would probably start right now. Tomorrow they would start naming hers and Captain America’s imaginary child. Maybe she should leave right now before she did anything stupid and write off the whole evening as an experience never to be repeated.

But before she could make any level-headed decisions she was once again approached by a person who was very intent on commenting about her non-existent relationship.

“You’ve done pretty well, I have to say,” a man in his early forties leaned against the bar next to her. “You both have. You know, selling your romance, the cutesy all-American couple.”

She just looked at the newcomer wearily. “Oh really, because that was not the deal I was trying to sell at all, seeing that we are not really a couple.”

“Snarky sense of humour as a distraction, I like it. But really, you don’t have to pretend here. The fact that you are not at his side but rather standing on the bar all by yourself, says it all, doesn’t it?”

“How am I supposed to be by his side? Captain America is not attending.”

He looked at her irritated for a second. “Don’t play with me, of course he is, I just saw him talking to a senator not five minutes ago.”

“Oh really?”

He raised an eyebrow at her reaction. “Now you are really trying to oversell your little ‘I didn’t know he would be here’ act.”

“It’s not an act, but excuse me anyway, while I hunt him down.”

~*~

Steve was tired and exhausted. He had just gotten back to the States two hours ago (after a weeks-long, very disappointing and tedious search for Bucky) only to be told that he had to attend tonight’s charity event. He barely had had the time to shower, let alone shave, had quickly gotten into the tux laid out for him and then been driven to the venue.

He had been forced into attending for PR reasons because in the wake of SHIELD’s destruction, the Avengers had to present a united and non-threatening front. So everybody was there, except Natasha who had apparently fallen off the end of the earth and never attended “the whole dog and pony show” (her words) to begin with and Thor who had some kind of interplanetary diplomacy to attend to. But even Bruce had been corralled into going. He looked a bit more relaxed with Pepper at his side while Tony was of course the centre of attention. Steve had yet to spot Clint in the crowd, but knowing the archer, he was probably hunched in a rafter somewhere, looking at the whole spectacle from a distance.

He was already counting the hours until he could leave without offending anybody. He just wanted to be alone for a bit and get the sleep he by now desperately needed. By his count he had now been awake for 78 hours, but he could be off since the time zones factored in, too. He didn’t register the increasing number of questions about a girlfriend, which, in retrospect, he should have. At some point he wished alcohol could at least have some effect on him because that might make the whole circus a bit more bearable. He hadn’t expected much from the event to begin with, mostly vapid conversations and a lot of fake smiles and handshaking – which was exactly what he was forced to do. What he most definitely hadn’t expected was being manhandled by a tiny brunette into a dark corner.

“I have a bone to pick with you, mister,” she started without preamble, pointing a finger at his chest accusingly.

It took him a split second to assess that she was definitely non-lethal, not a threat, just very furious. At him apparently. For what he couldn’t fathom. “Sorry? Do I know you?”

“Dude, where have _you_ been? I’m your assumed girlfriend slash mother of your seven secret children according to the media.”

“Huh?”

She took a deep breath and a step away from him. “Okay, we met once, a few weeks ago? The Strand Bookstore? We ran into each other? Ring any bells?”

Some almost forgotten encounter with a girl on the day he had started the ill-fated assignment started coming back to him. He didn’t remember her looking like the woman in front of him though.

“Guess what,” she continued, “somebody took pictures of us. Or rather of you with me in them. They got posted all over the internet and now we are ‘totally dating’ and ‘very cute with each other’ and are ‘seriously about to take the new step in our relationship.’” She had said a lot of that while making air quotes with her fingers and now looked at him expectantly.

“Problem?” he just asked.

“Well, contrary to popular belief I really didn’t want this type of publicity. A little help from your side and not the strict adherence to Captain America’s ‘no comment on my private life’ policy would have been nice.”

“I’m sure it will blow over eventually. Seeing that it’s not true. They can only create so much out of nothing.”

“Well, that’s what everybody thought, but no, hasn’t happened. The story has been going strong for weeks now. I have paparazzi following my every move. I’m being harassed on campus. My name is all over the internet in varying shades of flattering and not-so-flattering articles and I had to handle the sudden invasion of _my_ private life all by myself thanks to you.”

“Well, in case you hadn’t noticed: I’m an actual Avenger and was a little busy at the time.”

She took a deep breath at this and then stared at him disbelievingly. “So that’s the angle you are going to pursue? The ‘I’m too important to deal with your shit’? Wow, they told me that Captain America would be nice and not a total self-serving asshole under his cowl.”

“Excuse me? You assaulted me out of nowhere with a sob story I’m not even sure is true and tried to get a reaction out of me within seconds when I’ve clearly been out of the country for the past weeks. If you really had to deal with this, I’m sorry, but you should understand that I need take every random partygoer’s story with a grain of salt. For all I know, you could be a reporter yourself trying to get a story out of me.”

“Right, because that happens all the time. Excuse me, I forgot how busy and important you are, Captain America. Let me tell you one thing: If that were the case I would definitely not be standing with you in a dark corner away from the public eye. I should’ve known that I was expecting too much from this. I thought maybe Captain America might be a man with a plan after all. Apparently I was wrong. Another one of those cases where the public image is just a fake. Such a shame, really. Just one last bit: You play your role very well, Captain.”

And with that she turned on her heels and marched away back into the ballroom. He looked after her for a few seconds trying to process what had just happened between them and how spectacularly he had just put a foot into his mouth. Trying to salvage the situation he followed her. He caught up with her at the entrance and grabbed her hand. She stopped and looked back at him with murder in her eyes, so he let go of her hand quickly.

“Sorry, Miss, I didn’t even get your name. Maybe we could talk about this another time when we’ve had less alcohol, are both a bit calmer and not in the middle of a charity event.”

“Screw you. I’m as sober as you are. And in case you want to find out my name: Just try googling yourself, it’s the name mentioned in conjunction with yours. You can look at the plethora of pictures accompanying the articles to make sure it’s really me, too. Our ship name is Starcy by the way.”

With that she stormed away. Of course neither of them had noticed that their brief moment of handholding had been caught on camera by one of the society photographers attending the event.

~*~

Spotted! Celebz attending the annual Stark Foundation Charity event last night. See all the coverage from the star-studded event in the gallery below! There are some very pretty pictures of the assembled Avengers, that is, the two thirds of the group that made it to the event. Natasha “Black Widow” Romanoff and Thundergod Thor missed one of the highlights of the social calendar. But after weeks of being gone from the face of the earth even Captain America finally made a very welcome public appearance. The Captain (bearded!) attended the event with new girlfriend Darcy Lewis in tow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The "white whale" expression Darcy hears, I stole it from ABC's Castle with Nathan Fillion. It's from their season 1 episode "Home is Where the Heart Stops".


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Please note that this is the last chapter before I leave for a few weeks.** I'll be changing jobs and moving and will be without stable internet for a bit. I'll update once I'm all set in a new country, but feel free to pester me on [my tumblr](http://amerna.tumblr.com/) when I don't make an appearance in June!

### Chapter 3

Even though he felt like he could sleep for days, Steve woke up at 7 the next day. He didn’t feel exactly well-rested but at least he didn’t feel like he had been run over by a truck anymore. Then his stomach announced that his last solid meal had been quite some time ago. Yesterday’s event had only offered catered appetizers, of which he had had exactly one, so he got up in search of food. Since his housing at the tower was supposed to be only temporary there wasn’t any food in the fridge, so he opted for the communal kitchen, hoping to have better luck there. He was pretty sure that Jarvis kept the fridge in the labs well stocked.

Luckily the fridge in the communal kitchen was well stocked and while Steve was waiting for the coffee to be ready, he went back to his apartment and got his tablet to read up on the important news he might have missed while he was out on his search for Bucky. Then his encounter with the mystery girl came back to him full force. It had been such an odd situation, too. While he didn’t want to accuse the woman of lying, he couldn’t imagine the situation to be as dramatic as she had pictured it. What had she called it again? She was his assumed girlfriend slash mother of his seven secret children? She had probably exaggerated a bit.

Anyway, better to get updated by himself, so he typed his own name into the search bar and then loaded the latest news about him.

**Salacious Starcy Scoop – How it all started!**

**Steve and Darcy? Will they last?**

**America’s sweethearts: all the information**

**Starcy: Where are they now?**

**Shopping for her man? Darcy better dress up in red, white and blue for his much anticipated return!**

**Darcy’s low-key girls night out!**

**The new man-eater! Darcy just in it for fame and fortune, old friends reveal**

**Nothing but love in sight! Darcy confirms that their relationship is serious**

**Waiting for her soldier! Darcy’s sullen day off**

**Darcy Lewis and Captain America Steve Rogers both confirmed to attend the fundraiser together**

The amount of articles that came up was higher than the news coverage when he had taken down SHIELD and the Triskelion and been injured and pronounced missing in the process. What had happened? He clicked on some of the articles at random and started reading. Apparently he was dating a girl called Darcy Lewis, the accompanying pictures of her at a random supermarket confirmed that it was indeed the girl who had ambushed him yesterday. And they were “serious” – whatever that was supposed to mean. He went further back in his search, trying to figure out how it all had started to begin with. She had mentioned their accidental meeting at the bookstore a few weeks ago so he limited his search to include that keyword.

He found some of the earliest articles, which included a grainy picture of the two of them. He looked at it, trying to remember what had happened that day and how their little chance encounter could possibly be interpreted as a full-blown love affair. He tried to take the perspective of an outsider who wanted to sell the story. If you hadn’t been part of that encounter he supposed that it could be interpreted as… intimate. Still, how had this blown up so spectacularly? He made a mental note to ask Pepper about their PR strategy.

Next he tried finding out more about the girl whom he had been paired up with. She had been at yesterday’s event, how had she managed to turn up there? All he had read so far had her portrayed as a normal student girl. Was she already using their imaginary connection for her own advantage and to get access to places she didn’t belong? But then, she had appeared mostly outraged by the tabloid features, too, so maybe there was more to her.

He entered her name into the search bar and had just begun reading about her life, when Tony came waltzing in. “What are you up to so early, Cap? I thought you were ready to sleep for at least three days.”

“I could ask the same of you.”

“Oh, I never went to bed.” Tony started rummaging through the kitchen drawers. “I had an idea yesterday evening, which I simply had to try. Science waits for no one, I’m high on caffeine and sugar. Darcy is going to have my head when she comes in this afternoon. But you didn’t answer my question.”

“I’m doing… research. I caught wind of some stories about my private life that went all over my head while we were out of the country.”

“Really?” Tony found an energy bar in one of the drawers and devoured in two bites. “There were publicity issues? Pepper hasn’t mentioned anything.”

“Wasn’t she out of the country as well?”

“Good point.” Tony had come standing next to him and looked at the screen only to look back at Steve with an expression of surprise. “And googling Darcy Lewis is research on your private life how?”

“She’s the girl– wait, how do _you_ know her?”

“She’s an assistant down at the labs. She works with us part time and is working on her masters at Columbia. The question is: How do _you_ know her? Surely the two of you have never met? And most importantly: why does the press think you are sleeping with her?” He crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked ready to give Steve the shovel talk.

“I don’t know her. Really, I don’t!” he repeated when he caught Tony’s disbelieving look. “We accidentally crossed paths a few weeks ago, shortly before our assignment and somebody took pictures and apparently the story developed into a total media juggernaut in the interim.”

“And that’s all?”

“Yes, that’s all. I’m trying to figure out what to do now.”

“If I may be so bold, Captain,” Jarvis interrupted, “there are some new pictures from yesterday night’s event. You might want to take them into account as well.”

“Oh god, please not,” Steve groaned.

“Bring them up on Cap’s tablet, Jarvis,” Tony instructed.

“Certainly, sir.”

It took only a second for the pictures to appear before him. Of course they were of the two of them after their argument, the only time they had touched and looked at each other on public. It took all of his self-control not to let his head fall onto the table. “Dammit…” was his only reaction.

Tony took the tablet from Steve’s hands to take a closer look. “Well, you two certainly look… passionate?”

“Yeah, but only because we got into some major argument.”

Tony frowned at him. “Say what now? You just said you hardly know each other.”

“We don’t. That why I might have said some not so nice things to her when she ambushed me yesterday at the party to give me a piece of her mind.”

“Not so nice how?” Tony asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

“I might have insinuated she was only after a story and tried to take advantage of me.”

“And that’s all?”

“Well, there was a bit more…”

When Steve recounted their whole conversation Tony’s eyebrows almost rose to his hairline. “Well,” he said after a few seconds of silence, “you know I’m no expert in personal relationships, but even I think you should talk to her and apologize. She will be in the labs on the 67th floor this afternoon.” He thought for a moment and then added: “And because I’m a nice person and because I know that the great Captain America is as fallible as the best of us I should probably warn you that she’s the girl who tased Thor when she first met him. Good luck, Captain.”

~*~

Darcy’s next day started as bad as the last day had ended. It was like Captain America’s stealthy-in-the-middle-of-the-night return from his super secret must-have-been heroic deed in God-knows-where reminded everybody that might have forgotten in the interim that she was also supposedly dating him and that she should be the adoring girlfriend, happy that her soldier had finally returned home. It made her less than stellar mood from their confrontation the prior evening turn even more sour.

People also now kept staring at her as if they expected for the good Captain to appear next to her any minute for some passionate PDA. If the looks and the whispers she got wherever she went in the building were not freaking her out enough it was also people she barely knew approaching her to ask how good it was to “have Steve home” and if she was happy that he’s back by her side all safe and sound, largely implying that they wanted to talk about her sex life with him.

By lunchtime she was irritable and cranky. She was on her way to the labs from the cafeteria where she quickly grabbed something to eat for Jane, Bruce and herself when somebody called out her name in the hallway.

“Miss Lewis?”

She spun around on her heels, facing the caller. “Yes, I know that Captain America has returned. I for one couldn’t be happier,” she suggested in a voice that heavily implied otherwise. “What else do you want to know? If I have any hickies? If I can still walk after the great reunion sex we had all night? What kind of kinky shenanigans the Captain is into?”

“Um…” a very red-faced intern started stammering and pointing at the forms in his hands. “I just wanted to ask if you still need those components you ordered?”

She fixed her angry stare at him. “Since I haven’t retracted my order, yes, I still need them.”

“Okay,” he just replied meekly and then scurried off.

“So, if he’d really wanted to know about Steve’s stamina and kinky preferences, would you have told him?”

She wheeled around to face a guy who had seeming appeared out of nowhere – the air vents probably – and now smirked at her.

Darcy crossed her arms in front of her chest and stared at him, unimpressed. “I’m sorry, do I know you?”

“Clint Barton also known as Hawkeye.” He mock saluted at her.

“Oh,” recognition dawned. “I’ve heard about you. We never met in New Mexico, but I heard you were there. And then at other places...”

She started walking down the hallway and he followed her, falling into step next to her. “Well, I’d return the compliment, but I haven’t heard about you. Until this morning at least, which is really weird since you and Steve are very much in love and rumoured to tie the knot soon.”

“Great,” Darcy just muttered to herself.

“What?”

“That now even Avengers feel the need to confront me about the rumours they hear in hallways.”

“That’s not what I meant,” he said, sounding defensive.

“It’s not?” Darcy looked at him expectantly.

“No, I know none of this is true. I know Steve and if he were really dating anybody he wouldn’t hide it from his comrades. He couldn’t really, because that boy sucks at lying. And he’s been on an assignment in an all male group for a few weeks where at some point we kept pestering him that maybe he should get laid to release some of the tension.”

“Very mature,” Darcy just commented, but Clint ignored her.

“So, I’m trying to figure out, what your deal is, Darcy Lewis.”

“Ugh,” Darcy said. “You didn’t improve your case. Do I now have to deal with his friends trying to defend Captain America’s honour?”

He held up his hands in defence. “Good god, no. I was just curious.

“Okay, but then you just sounded as if you were just here to question my motives,” Darcy pointed out. “And I’m really not in the mood for that.”

“Sorry,” Clint said, sounding sincere. “I didn’t know I was hitting a nerve. And I really liked your outburst directed at unnamed work intern #347 over there. Perfect opening, I felt.”

“Thanks,” Darcy muttered drily. “But next time, please don’t question me out of the blue. I know you used to be a spy and all, but you were super creepy.”

“Okay, my bad,” Clint said apologetically, “but then I was kind of wondering if you would make up some kind of kinky stuff about Steve,” he waggled his eyebrows suggestively and Darcy couldn’t help but laugh a bit.

It actually felt nice to talk to somebody who apparently didn’t take the whole rumour mill seriously and had enough humour to make fun of it too. Also, it seemed like he really wanted to know her side of the story.

“I really don’t know him well enough to make stuff up about him,” Darcy explained. “You know, it’s hard to lie when you don’t know the truth.”

“You don’t? So, why does everybody think that Steve is about to pop the question soon? Or has already done it? Are you his 21st century mail order bride? Dating his evil twin? Your own photoshop manips idolizing the first Avenger got out of hand?”

Darcy snorted loudly. “Nope, compared to that it’s really boring, actually. It’s some kind of media clusterfuck about an accidental meeting between the two of us a few weeks ago that has blown up rather spectacularly.”

“Celebrity culture at its finest? That _is_ rather boring. I would have gone for the evil twin story. And then you and evil Steve planning to take over the world or something. How long have you been dealing with this?”

“Four weeks now. There are no signs of it abating either, you know.”

“Does Steve know about this?”

“I’m pretty sure he knows by now,” Darcy said dryly.

“Judging by your tone there’s actually a story there?” Clint looked at her expectantly.

“Well, he apparently just returned to the country yesterday. I might have confronted him about it.”

Clint sighed. “Oh boy.”

“What?”

“Did he mess it up rather spectacularly?”

“As a matter of fact, he did. I don’t really want to retell the whole story, because then you’ll probably feel forced to defend him out of some misguided attempt at honouring the bro code or whatever you guys might call it. And that’s a lost cause.”

“He doesn’t really have a good track record with women,” Clint just said.

“Right… That’s an awful excuse.”

“It’s the truth, though.”

“Still not helping.”

They had reached the lab Darcy was headed to. “Well, Darcy Lewis soon-to-be Rogers, it was nice meeting you. I’ll let Steve handle this by himself and eat popcorn while watching the train wreck.”

Darcy looked at him, frowning. “Okay, you’ve already convinced me that you were not arguing the Captain’s case but now you might be overdoing it.”

“Trust me, knowing Steve I haven’t. But another suggestion: If you get tired of the rumours about your relationship with him you can always end this by starting to pretend to date somebody else, me for example.” He winked at her. “I’m always up for some pretend public PDA. Just imagine the tabloid fodder we could generate with the Avengers relationship drama.”

“Thanks, but I’ll give it a pass.”

He clutched his heart in a dramatic fashion. “My heart will never recover from the rejection.”

“You’ll live.”

“You are right, I will. I spend some time in the air vents, do you want me to keep you updated about the most outrageous rumours concerning your love life floating around?” he offered.

“Thanks, but I think, I’ll stick to my Google alerts about myself.”

“You sure? It could be great fun. We could do trope bingo!”

“Um… no.” Darcy shook her head.

“Your loss!” With that he swung himself to the nearest air vent window and was gone from her sight within seconds.

~*~

Darcy Lewis, as Steve found out, worked at the labs with Jane Forster, Thor’s girlfriend. So she was the same Darcy Thor spoke of very fondly, whenever he talked of his first visit to Midgard. Thor regarded her as some kind of younger sister and held her in the highest respect. It was easy to find out a lot about her once Steve had been pointed into the right direction.

As much as he would have liked to postpone their eventual confrontation, Steve decided to talk to her at the earliest possibility. Because based on their encounter last night he had the distinct feeling that she didn’t like him very much and would actually give him a lot of grief – which he deserved. But maybe they could still work out something. He also contacted Pepper and left a message about the whole situation, but hadn’t heard back from her.

When he went down to Jane Foster’s lab in the early afternoon, he found it mercifully empty, apart from Darcy. She was at her desk, working on the computer, listening to music on the iPod that was lying on top of the stack of files on her desk. In the background he could hear machines humming and occasionally beeping.

He went straight for her desk, which she didn’t seem to notice as she was too absorbed in her work. He shuffled his feet for a second and then cleared his throat awkwardly, forcing her to look up from her desk. She took him in for a moment, hit the pause button on her iPod and took out her earplugs slowly, then sat back on her chair, crossing her hands in front of her chest. Her whole demeanour couldn’t be more unwelcoming.

“Well, hello _Captain_. You have found me at last. How may I be of service to our favourite star spangled superhero today?” Sarcasm was dripping from every syllable.

He decided to dive in head first: “Look, I’m sorry about yesterday, I came to apologize. You caught me unaware and I really had no idea.”

“Apology not accepted,” she replied frostily.

He resisted the urge to sigh audibly. “And I feel like I came off a bit douchey, too.”

“Now you are making headway. You did indeed come off ‘a bit douchey’. Please continue with your grovelling and I might consider forgiving you after all.”

“Do you mind if I sit down?” he asked, pointing at the chair on the other side of her desk.

“This is a free country. Mostly thanks to you, I heard.”

He ignored the jab and sat down in front of her. “This sounds like a really phony excuse but I really had just gotten home from a mission in the middle of nowhere just a few hours before. I’d just taken a shower and gotten into the tux. I had no idea what had happened while I was gone and I had to search for everything you had told me about after you gave me a piece of your mind.”

“I’m not taking any of it back, you deserved it.”

“I probably did. That’s why I came down to apologise and strategize.

“What do you mean?” She frowned at him. “It’s too late to waver from the ‘we are not commenting’-strategy. We just have to grit our teeth and say nothing. The milk has been spilt, you don’t close the barn door after the horse has escaped, whatever, you know the sayings. As much as it pains me to admit: Now we really just have to wait until it’s all blown over. People just shouldn’t see us together again and at some point they’ll just assume we called it quits or whatever.”

Now Steve couldn’t help but sigh audibly. “Have you seen the newest pictures of us yet?”

“New pictures?”

“Could you google us on your computer, please?”

She raised a questioning eyebrow, but to his surprise she accepted his request without objections, brought up her browser and found the newest coverage on them within seconds. She groaned and buried her head in her hands for a second. “How is that even possible? Do these photographers have superhuman abilities? We were in public together for like… 30 seconds? And touched for maybe 1 second? And there are still pictures? How is that even possible?”

He shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know… And I’m really sorry.”

“God, this nightmare is never going to end.”

“Well, we are talking about this now… We can do something…“ he offered.

“What do you mean?” Darcy asked confusedly.

“I can have a denial issued if you want,” Steve suggested.

Darcy shook her head forcefully. “No, we can’t do that anymore.” When she caught Steve’s surprised look she continued: “The thing is: You, or rather your people, should have done that weeks ago. We’ve been seen together once too many times already and now we even work in the same building. People will just assume something went wrong. Even an ‘we are just friends’ will be interpreted as ‘they are totally fucking’.”

“Really?”

“I hate to break it to you, pal, but that how celebrity culture works these days. A denial will never be accepted without questioning and people will always assume you are not telling the truth but rather saving your own reputation from something.”

“This is crazy,” Steve said with conviction.

“Well, you are still lucky, you have a reputation to uphold. I don’t. We basically live in different worlds. At least, news wise.”

“Your point being?”

“Let me ask you something. What did you hear about me before you came down here? You must have done some research, right? You have probably heard about my taser habits, haven’t you?”

Steve nodded.

“The thing is: That’s not me, that’s what I was made into, tasergirl Lewis. The fact is: I used that thing once because a really muscly guy scared the crap out of me. I’ve never used a taser since and frankly, I’d prefer not to. While I can appreciate the poetry of Thor being felled by artificial lightning on his visit to New Mexico, it was a onetime thing that I will be known by forever even though it doesn’t reflect my personality at all. And it’s because Thor likes telling that story to people I don’t know. It’s the same with the tabloids these days. One encounter basically defined my whole public perception. For the wider public I’ll always be known as Captain America’s lover, girlfriend or ex-girlfriend and that’s not me. But because other people tell my story I have no influence over this. What’s even worse: You, Captain, are basically a public property. So you have an established reputation, you are well-liked and you have influence. I don’t have that luxury. And I didn’t even choose any of this whereas you went into the whole publicity shindig with open eyes.”

They both were silent for a moment after Darcy’s rant.

“I’m sorry?” Steve then said.

“You apologized once too many times already and while I appreciate basic human decency, it’s not going to help.”

Steve sighed, exasperated. “What I’m I supposed to do then? You think we should just sit around and do nothing? That’s not really my style.”

“Don’t you dare do something!” Darcy pointed her index finger at him. “This isn’t your basic ‘Captain America will do something against injustice’ thing. You cannot take on the whole tabloid industry! Seriously! You can’t. But if you have an idea, you run it by me first. We are in this together, you and I.”

“At this point I should probably mention that I also contacted Pepper about this.”

Darcy looked at him momentarily surprised. “Well,” she drew out the word, “if Pepper Potts comes up with a good idea you can probably trust her to be right. Otherwise we keep still and see how the whole show develops. Hopefully somebody will come up with a scandal or two in the next weeks and our story will disappear from the front pages.”

Steve stood up from his chair. “I’ll keep you updated?”

“That would be nice.”

“And for the record: I still don’t like the holding still tactic.”

“That’s the only thing that’s going to work. Pepper will tell you the same.”

~*~

**The Cap is back!**

After being gone from the face of the earth for what feels like decades pictures taken today finally show our notoriously camera shy superhero out and about in New York again. Though the Captain is barely recognizable with a beard and a baseball cap (the first being a prime clue that he has been on a mission for a few weeks), it didn’t keep our intrepid _Daily Starz_ reporters from snapping a few shots of our beloved superhero walking all by himself in northern Brooklyn.

He’s yet to be seen with his ordinary lady love in tow, but that’s just a matter of time. “Darcy is so glad to have him back safe and sound,” a friend of the couple dishes. “She hardly lets him out of her sight. Honestly, each mission and the long separation makes it more difficult for her. Obviously she’s aware that his superhuman abilities make him less of an easy victim, but that doesn’t keep her from worrying about him day and night when he’s gone.”

Let’s just hope the couple can savour a bit of uninterrupted bliss before his unique skill set requires the Captain to be on the other side of the planet once more.

~*~

When Darcy was summoned into Pepper Potts’ office only a day later, she automatically assumed that she was in trouble. For a moment she thought that maybe Captain America had ratted her out somehow, but then… maybe he wouldn’t stoop that low. But her anxiety put a little bumper on meeting the great Pepper Potts, that is until the CEO of Stark Industries started their conversation with an apology.

“Miss Lewis, I’m so terribly sorry for what happened,” Pepper Potts rose from her desk chair and motioned Darcy to sit down on one of the couches in the corner of the office, sitting down in front of Darcy, who was busy trying not to stare at her with her mouth hanging open.

“What for?” Darcy finally managed to say.

“For what happened to you! The press intrusion! I had no idea! I got in touch as soon as I found out.”

“Well, it’s not your fault! Really, it’s not.”

“But it’s such a big deal! I don’t know how we could miss this.”

“You might have missed this, but your head of communication definitely knew.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Look, I don’t want to place any blame here, but I tried to talk to Nathaniel Gibson right from the start but he wouldn’t listen.”

Pepper Potts actually sighed at this. “God, he’s an idiot. I wish I knew of someone to replace him with. Well, not replace really. He may be a bit too full of himself, but he’s good with market communication and reporting and the product related site. But we certainly need somebody who is better equipped for the PR stuff and more politically savvy.”

“With SHIELD’s destruction and the Avengers going solo? Yeah, you do,” Darcy couldn’t help but say, for which Pepper eyed her curiously. “Sorry, it’s not really my place to comment.”

“No, please, by all means, continue.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes. You are a political science major, are you not? I value the honesty.”

“Well,” Darcy took a deep breath, “the Aliens in New York, the whole AIM thing in LA and the destruction of SHIELD by none other than Captain America have shown what the Avengers are capable off. But without SHIELD they have no official political mandate. For all intents and purposes, these days they are a domestic paramilitary group leading to a whole new set of political issues. Now you have to tread carefully and smooch up to the right people, both in public and behind closed doors. I would’ve thought that keeping everybody out of the media would be a prime goal, especially their private life. That is, except when you need the diversion.”

Pepper Potts eyed her with a calculating look. “Yes, you are probably right. We’ll look into it.”

They were silent for a moment, then: “But coming back to the subject at hand and seeing that you are pretty aware of the PR activities: Why didn’t you say anything to anybody else?” Pepper sounded inquisitive, not accusatory.

“You were all out of the country. My other inquiries were stonewalled, as I said. Who was I supposed to talk to? I didn’t know anybody here except Jane. And then at some point the story spiralled out of control anyway. There’s nothing we can do now.”

“Yes,” Pepper agreed. “That’s what I explained to Steve as well. We have to keep still and whatever happens, happens.”

“Told him,” Darcy muttered.

“Sorry?”

“That’s what I told him, too, yesterday. We… talked.”

“Yes, he mentioned something along the lines.”

“I’m glad you confirmed my opinion,” Darcy said, leading Pepper to look at her with a raised eyebrow.

“How would you define your relationship with Steve? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Oh, we don’t have one, a relationship I mean. For me personally: I’ve decided that I’m trying to avoid the Captain as best as I can.”


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, that took me a little. But in good news, I have more or less arrived in this brave new world. If anybody from the New England area (I live in Boston, MA, now) wants to give me some pointers, hit up my ask box! Other than that: I have a temporary furnished apartment (with internet access) atm, but I figure once I find a permanent place, I’ll actually be without internet again. So it might (again) be a while until I can post chapter 5.

### Chapter 4

Avengers Feed @AvengersDaily

The Cap was spotted back in town! You know what that means people, keep your eyes out and tweet pictures of him via  #CapSpotting

Avengers Feed @AvengersDaily

Special bonus points if you see him with ordinary lady love Darcy in tow!  #CapSpotting

~*~

“We should start a pool on the bump watch.” Darcy squinted at the text sent from an unknown number and then asked herself if this was the beginning of a very bad prank or a larger conspiracy to open up to the media. She considered ignoring the text entirely but then her curiosity got better of her.

“Who’s this?” she then texted back.

“Clint,” came the reply within seconds.

She hadn’t expected that response. “How do I know you are not a reporter cleverly pretending to be Clint?”

“Steve Rogers kinky preferences fun fact for you to distribute: his safe word is ‘apple pie’.”

His next text came within seconds. “I’m joking on that one, I don’t know his safe word. Do you want me to find out?”

“Good God, NO!” was Darcy’s answer, then: “How did you even get my number?”

“I’m a spy, remember?” She rolled her eyes at his answer but before she could write back he had sent her another message: “But a pool would be awesome. People are asking themselves when he’s going to knock you up and if his little super soldiers are more potent than the average.”

This actually confirmed some of her own suspicions, with the not so subtle, rather more pointed looks at her abdomen she had started to get. She mentally rolled her eyes. As if Captain America, now that he had returned to the motherland, had nothing better to do than to knock her up immediately.

“Little super soldiers being a metaphor here,” Clint had texted while she had dwelled on her thoughts.

“You don’t say,” was Darcy’s reply.

Again it didn’t take him long to answer. Apparently he was a text messaging fiend. “I can see the snark all through those three little words.”

“As it was intended,” she shot back.

“It’s fun.”

“I thought I’d said I didn’t want to be updated about the current gossip?” Darcy saw it necessary to remind him.

“Well, I figured you didn’t know what you are missing out, so I’m doing it anyway.”

She smiled at that. Her friendship with Clint Barton aka Hawkeye had come naturally. With Tony, Clint and the Captain returning from the mission nobody talked about, the tower involuntarily became more lived-in and they had all but adopted her into their fold. Tony and Bruce had commandeered her from Jane’s lab, leading to Darcy taking care of not only one but three crazy scientists during her part time job. It was fun though and made Darcy’s work more interesting so she couldn’t complain. With Clint she had soon discovered that they shared an interest in food, cooking and TV shows. He was also one of the few to see the humour in all the coverage that was still going strong about her and Captain America.

While she enjoyed the family dynamics in the group and her first new friendships in New York that eased some of the loneliness that had crept up, it also meant that avoiding Captain America was easier said than done. They would involuntarily cross paths in the common rooms in the living area, the labs when he visited Tony or Bruce or at the regularly shared meals with Avengers and friends (bonding opportunities everybody called family dinner that were, much to Darcy’s surprise, fostered by Tony).

In contrast to his teammates, he treated her with cold civility, confirming most of Darcy’s first impressions of him. It didn’t matter though, she told herself, and she basically mirrored his behaviour and didn’t try to get to know him either. The less they were seen with each other, the better. She couldn’t avoid the coverage of him, though. If he ventured out into the city, she would involuntarily know from the news headlines. People kept spotting him on the street and then speculated why he was out and about without her.

“And you know,” she told Clint, when they were in the communal kitchen together, preparing dinner, “maybe at some point us not appearing together at all will eventually lead to news about our break up.”

Preparing dinner with Clint was a thing Darcy did now on a regular basis. SHIELD’s downfall had left him without a job and he had taken up cooking as a hobby – surprising himself and all those around him.

“Oh, I’m all for it. As a matter of fact, I am fully prepared. If I’ll ever be asked for a quote about you two during our next public appearance, I’ll tell them: ‘But they’ve broken up already, didn’t you know?’ And I’ll add: ‘It was very grown up and amicable. They’ve decided to keep shared custody of the hedgehog they adopted while they were together.’” Darcy looked at Clint with terror in her eyes, meanwhile he continued: “And then we can count how many people take my statement for face value. It’s going to be a lot of fun. I mean, obviously Captain America would never adopt a hedgehog, not when his spirit animal is the bald eagle.”

“Remind me to tell Pepper to _never_ let you have any public appearance and statement whatsoever.”

“Awww, you take all my fun away. How am I to spread the rumours about the existence of a certain ‘Star Spangled Sex Tape’ then?”

For this Darcy punched him in the arm rather forcefully.

“Seriously though,” Clint said a few moments later, “the two of you should just appear in public together behaving the way you do now. Nobody will think that you are in love with each other after a full display of that cold politeness you two have perfected.”

“Being cold with each other is better than fighting and being at each other’s throat, which we did twice already,” Darcy defended herself.

“But it would make for better entertainment for all of us,” he winked at her. “And would be much more in character for both of you.”

“I don’t know what you're talking about.”

“Oh, come on, Darcy. You like arguing and having an opinion. You chose politics as a living for god’s sake. And you did that because you're the opinionated idealist type and not the backstabbing power hungry deals-in-backrooms person.”

“Thank you.”

“And Steve is basically the same,” Clint continued. “Standing up and defending his opinion. He’s one stubborn debater, too. In his defence, these days he’s mostly right. But I would pay good money for you two to have a difference of opinion and argue it out, too.”

“No, you wouldn’t.”

“Yes, I would. And it’s going to happen. You two cannot go against your character forever and not say anything to each other. I just hope I’m there to see the fireworks.”

As it turned out Clint would get his wish sooner rather than later. Their discussion over dinner a few days later started with a tweet.

“Oh Steve, I wanted to mention: People spotted you at the Brooklyn Vet Center,” Pepper told him over curry that Bruce had prepared. “It was on Twitter.”

This made Darcy perk up. Apparently she was no longer the only person that kept close watch of the Avengers’ public profile.

The Captain actually swore under his breath. “Dammit, I was thinking I was keeping a low profile. That’s really the last thing I need. Press following me there.”

“Let’s hope they don’t go that far,” Pepper said. “It was not just the press per se, but normal people saw you and took pictures and posted them online. Your social media profile is certainly heightened in light of recent… developments.”

Pepper was very pointedly not looking at her, Darcy noticed, whereas the Captain’s narrowed eyes quickly flew to her where she was silently munching her food.

“This is also a great stalker tool for us to find out what you're doing, Steve,” Clint said conversationally. “Since, you know, we get the major developments only when it’s trending on twitter. Like the fall of SHIELD.”

“You are never going to let that go, are you?” the Captain said with an eye roll.

“Not in the next 15 years at least.”

“Don’t tell me that Natasha didn’t warn you in some way about the upheaval at SHIELD.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Clint said all too innocently.

“Anyway,” Tony interrupted. “I did not know you were volunteering at the VA – or were you doing something different? Attending sessions?”

“I was checking the place out,” the Captain explained rather unwillingly. “I got involved with the VA in DC when I met Sam. I’m not sure if I fit though.” He tried to shrug casually. “And you know, if I have press following me there, I really don’t want the vets subjected to that.”

“But here’s hoping that it will only remain in social media and not boil over to be an actual thing,” Pepper said, making Darcy wonder if they were aware that not all publicity was necessary bad publicity.

They were silent for a second, then Bruce spoke up. “Do you want to add something, Darcy?” he asked. “You look like you cannot hold your opinion in much longer and it’s eating you a little bit from the inside.”

Darcy hadn’t realised that her thoughts were displayed so prominently on her face. Or maybe Bruce was just super perceptive. “I don’t want to sound like one of those terrible marketing people, but why are you not taking advantage of it? It’s good publicity.”

Her question was met with silence for a moment. “Steve doesn’t like it,” Pepper then provided.

“While I certainly understand the feeling, but as a public person he sometimes has no choice. In this case it also raises awareness for a topic that is not really on the forefront of many people’s mind. Now it’s out there anyway so he has to deal with it.”

“He is actually present and you don’t have to talk about him in the third person,” was the Captain’s acerbic comment that made Darcy turn around to face him. “Can you just be happy with the explanation that I don’t like it, Miss Lewis?”

“As you might have guessed: No, I can’t. Why don’t you like it? And silence on a matter is a reaction as well.”

“Captain America might be a public person, Steve Rogers is not. I was doing this in my private time and I didn’t and still don’t want to bring any attention to it – no matter how good the publicity and the coverage for the VA might be. I would rather keep it to myself.”

“The thing is: Where does Captain America’s public profile stop and Steve Rogers’ private dealings begin?” Darcy felt forced to point out. “I would assume the line is very thin.”

“It’s not,” he disagreed immediately.

“Not for you, but probably for the public in general,” Darcy persisted. “That’s why your every movement these days makes unexpected headlines. Because for them it’s Captain America out and about, not Steve Rogers. And people want to know every little thing about you.”

When the Captain didn’t reply immediately, Pepper took the opportunity to re-join the conversation. “Care to explain further, Darcy?”

“People want to know about the Avengers. About all of you guys. That’s why the press lunged at the pictures of Captain America and the mystery girl. Finally something about Captain America that didn’t involve blood and fighting and death and a sudden vulnerability because he took down one of the pillars of national security. Or finally some coverage that didn’t make you think that you're a bad citizen because your behaviour would make Captain America be very disappointed in you. They might not be able to see Steve Rogers, but they want the private life of Captain America anyway.”

“But doesn’t it say right on the tin what it is, namely _private_?” the Captain countered, emphasizing on the last word.

Darcy shrugged. “That’s what you think, but the argument of the public versus the private is as old as celebrity journalism. You will have to deal with it and in the end you have to decide what you're willing to give. Even though sometimes you have no choice, as I can very well attest to the fact.” And as an afterthought she added: “And in general: Silence is mostly not a good strategy. Hoping that it’s just going to disappear is not going to cut it. It’s better to handle a story, otherwise it will get handled. And it’s better to dip your toes into the PR waters with a positive story than to be thrown in at the deep end when you have to handle a negative one.”

~*~

  
**The Avengers in murky political waters**

New York City, the Chitauri Attack, was a turning point in the way we perceived superheroes. Out of the glossy magazines and the high-definition movies there were six who kept us safe, who took on a seemingly invincible force from another realm and won. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Tony Stark’s Iron Man, Captain America, the greatest soldier in history, the Norse God Thor, spies Black Widow and Hawkeye and scientist Bruce Banner aka the Hulk, took a stand and succeeded. And we loved them for it.

But what happened afterwards is what keeps us now up, because we got a taste of maybe not the dark side but the grey areas in which they operate. Tony Stark’s California home was famously destroyed in a terrorist attack and the hero himself was presumed dead for a few days. Thor took on and defeated some extraterrestrial life forms in London. Captain America and the Black Widow were branded as fugitives for a short time until they – in a move that surprised us all and is still rippling through the American consciousness – took down the corrupted secret government organisation SHIELD.

We saw what they can do and what they are subject to and the question now is: What kind of political affiliation and ambition do the elite group of six really have and what is their mandate? And what are the dangers emanating from their actions?

Because let’s look at the last item a bit closer, the fall of SHIELD. Its collapse left a security vacuum, which we are struggling to fill. Yes, in the long run, we are probably better off without a Nazi cult killing off people for ‘The Greater Good’, but at the moment we are still trying to figure out who is evil and who is not – and what about that fancy grey area again?

In the curious case of the Avengers: Yes, they saved New York City from an Alien invasion, but does that make them good people as a rule? They were fostered by SHIELD after all, so shouldn’t we look a bit closer? Are we really comfortable with the assumption that Captain America was – while he was working on covert ops for SHIELD – just a figurehead for a corrupt organisation and took them down as soon as he realised what they were doing? SHIELD benefitted from Tony Stark’s (and his father’s) technology for years. Their latest helicarriers were fuelled by engines of his making. Are we really sure he didn’t know that his inventions would be used for less than stellar plans? Doctor Banner got into scrapes with the military as the Hulk and was one of their most-wanted until he fell under SHIELD’s protection. Are we really ready to rule out that he didn’t sell his soul for said protection? Both Black Widow’s and Hawkeye’s special skill sets were nurtured by SHIELD despite their less than squeaky-clean past. Do we really trust them to not be involved with the Dark Side? And Thor’s brother Loki was the person to lead the Chitauri attack on earth. Shouldn’t we look at the cause-effect-line a bit closer and ask what actions led to what and how far is Thor entangled in it all?

Without an efficient governing body, who can we trust to keep us safe? Can we automatically assume that the Avengers will privatize world security? And if they do: Who will oversee the overseers? Natasha “Black Widow” Romanoff’s mouthy testimonial with her cheeky “come at me if you dare” attitude ruffled more than a few feathers not only on Capitol Hill. Is this the attitude we have to contend with?

Are we ready for a new era of fear, where we trust six persons and a few shadowy figures behind them to keep us safe but no longer dare question them because of their power? Because that may not be a trade-off worth living with. Are we sure that their obvious display of power will not mean that Earth is ready for a higher form of war and will make us more susceptible to even more nefarious attacks? We have treaded into highly murky political waters and while the situation is surely unprecedented it shouldn’t keep us from asking inconvenient questions.

~*~

Darcy Lewis was everywhere, Steve realised. He tried to stay out of her way as best as he could, but it seemed that he couldn’t avoid her. She was neatly integrated into their little group, even after such a short time of knowing most of them. Bruce and Tony adored her and she had become Clint’s new best buddy in Natasha’s absence.

Steve however was still trying to figure out what her deal was. It was not that he actively distrusted her, but he was reluctant to add new people to their tight knit group. He could see why Jane Foster was with them and she definitely had her usefulness and her place among the scientists. But Darcy Lewis seemed to only be a glorified intern on her journey to finding herself. Steve was still trying to figure out what she was doing – except antagonizing him.

But his concerns always fell on deaf ears.

“Wow, this whole Hydra thing has really made you more suspicious, hasn’t it?” was Tony’s reaction when he voiced his thoughts.

“It’s not that, it’s just… why is she here to begin with?”

Tony looked confused for a moment. “I think I’ve told you before, she’s a master’s student at Columbia. Political science.”

“But what does a political science major do assisting you guys?”

“She needed the extra credit, once upon a time that is. That’s why she interned with Jane Foster and helped out in New Mexico and London. The two now basically come as a package deal.”

“Hhhm, convenient.”

Tony raised an eyebrow at him. “Ok, I was kidding about the Hydra thing but you don’t actually distrust Darcy in a way that you would consider her to be a Hydra plant?” he asked suspiciously. “Because if you even considered that-“

“No!” Steve objected immediately. “She’s just… everywhere.”

“Because she’s nice and helpful,” Bruce said.

“But she-“

“Treats us like human beings. Which is why we like her,” Bruce stated. “Do you know how refreshing it is to talk to somebody who doesn’t fear I’ll turn into the other guy any second?”

“And she’s whip smart, too. Which you would know had you actually made a point of getting to know her instead of judging her from afar,“ Tony pointed out.

“And getting into ridiculous arguments all the time,” Bruce added. “I get that you are stir crazy, Steve, but don’t take it out on Darcy.”

“What?” Steve looked at Bruce at the unexpected turn of the conversation.

“You are a soldier and you need something to do. Somebody to butt heads with. And Darcy is your favourite sparring partner. Verbal sparring, that is.”

“When you're not having the polite coolness between you that would make ice cubes jealous,” Tony interjected. “How the tabloids ever managed to fabricate the romance of the century between you two is beyond me.”

This was another irksome thing about Darcy Lewis: She had been right about almost everything regarding the media circus surrounding all of them. She had predicted his heightened media profile. And there had been a sudden sharp rise in interest surrounding him – which he loathed with a vengeance. With all the things he was trying to keep out of the spotlight this was the worst time for increased public scrutiny.

Despite his best efforts to stay out of her way they were accidentally photographed once more at the door of the tower together (her: leaving, him: arriving), leading to another week of increasing media attention, about which Pepper kept him in the loop. At this rate the wedding rumours and/or the pregnancy rumours would start within the months was Clint’s less than helpful prediction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, and the twitter handles are obviously made up. I apologize if there's anybody around that actually has the twitter handle @AvengersDaily, I didn't mean to be rude!


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Now that I've more or less settled in my schedule will hopefully be more consistent.
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy chapter 5. This chapter and the next have a lot of exposition and set-up and things that will definitely be addressed later throughout the story. I hope this doesn't scare you away, because it's not that plot-heavy. There's going to be a lot going on in chapter 7 and 8, I promise. Chapter 8 especially is... explosive.

### Chapter 5

**News roundup: Week 25 after SHIELD**

The boring phase at the hearings has set in. There were a lot of intelligence experts from other agencies giving the comments on how “SHIELD was rotten from the core right from the beginning”. The only thing that’s missing from the political condemnation is dragging Peggy Carter’s name into the mud, but that is at this point only a matter of time.

The Star Spangled Man with a Plan still has yet to make an appearance. Maybe he’s too busy with his demanding new girlfriend?

~*~

Meeting Sam Wilson was unexpected. Both because he was so amiable and nothing like Darcy had expected a soldier buddy of Captain Rogers to be and also because he suddenly stood in the middle of the common room one day. Logically she knew that Jarvis would never let anybody on this floor who didn’t have express permission to be there, but she still eyed the newcomer warily – who just smiled back, recognition dawning on his face.

“You are Darcy Lewis, Steve’s mystery girlfriend,” he said without preamble and then laughed loudly when she narrowed her eyes at him for that. “Wow, you and Steve have the exact same expression when I say that. Does that mean that this whole shindig doesn’t sit well with you either?”

“Whatever makes you think that? No, every girl dreams of being swept off her feet by hordes of paparazzi and no longer having a private life.”

That sobered him up really quickly. “Yeah, the dark side of celebrity journalism, I guess. But you’ve been dealing with it like a pro from what I can see.”

“Thanks.” Darcy waited for a moment, then: “Sorry, but who are you?”

“Oh,” he laughed again, “I’m guess I’m not that visible in the papers like you are. Sam Wilson.”

“Ah! You are the winged person, one of the persons that took down the helicarriers in DC. They call you the falcon. Nice too meet you!” Technically she of course knew who he was. There had been some extended coverage on the team that had taken down the three helicarriers at the Triskelion, which had featured the one member with an experimental flight suit. After dragging their feet for a few days, the military had very reluctantly released the identity and some barebones information on retired pararescueman Sam Wilson. “Are you here for a visit or are you actually part of the superhero living community?”

“Visit, I don’t live in the superhero frat house. I’m based in DC. I’m crashing with Steve for a few days. Tony lured me here with promises of even more improvements to my flight pack and I of course couldn’t resist.”

“He does that to you, which is why I should probably head downstairs and supervise. Nice meeting you, Sam.”

Sam stayed around for a few days. By that point Darcy already knew that the tower was basically inhabited by insomniacs. Still, finding Sam in the middle of the night in the common room watching a movie surprised her. He looked around when he heard her padding into the common room searching for coffee.

“Oh, hi Darcy,” he said, surprise evident in his voice.

“Hi Sam, fancy meeting you here. Did you expect anybody else?”

“Anybody else but you, really. All the other guys are basically living on three or four hours of sleep. Steve especially. What keeps you up?”

“Pulling an all-nighter,” Darcy said with a shrug and then sat down next to him on the couch, when her search for coffee came up with nothing. “Or at least, I tried but by now I think I’m done.”

“Ah, right, for your studies. I heard that you had other duties apart from keeping the scientists in line downstairs. How is that coming along?”

“So and so, really. I like it, I really do, but then…”

“People are kind of giving you a hard time on campus?”

She looked up at him sharply. “As a matter of fact: Yes.”

“Celebrity culture at its finest,” Sam commented.

They were silent for a moment, watching the movie, when Darcy said: “I thought I had it all figured out, looking at it from afar but now that I’m a part of the whole circus I realised how crazy and otherworldly it basically is. It’s like a different reality you have to be accustomed to. And for me personally I’m still wondering how I ended up here to begin with. For those celebrities in the spotlight, like actors and musicians and all, I understand the fascination and it’s part of their job, because they have to sell and appeal to the public in general and I pity them, too, but I kind of want to know how Captain America’s love life is worth reporting about.”

Sam thought about it for a moment. “Maybe because he’s tall, dark and mysterious – figuratively speaking,” he then said. “We don’t know much about him – except about the icon. Who is the human behind the shield? Behind the mask? That’s what people want to know about all the celebrities, really.”

“I know and this also makes for a really good story, a fairy tale. The hero who fell for the ordinary girl. The golden boy and the poor student. Like I said: Kind of an alternative reality that they are portraying.”

“And you ended up as the blank canvas everybody projects their story on now. Because Steve, he has a public persona. You don’t. And now you end up being harassed and talked about because with you everything is possible to portray.”

Darcy looked at him in surprise, mouth slightly opened.

“What?” Sam said, defensively.

“It’ just… I’m surprised by your insight.”

“Why?”

“By your understanding. I wasn’t exactly surrounded by the most media savvy people.”

“You mean they were first surprised and then overwhelmed and then botched it?” he asked with an understanding smile.

“That’s pretty much the gist of it, yes.”

“They probably didn’t understand the superhero appeal,” Sam said after a moment of contemplation. “I mean, Captain America is legendary. Yet we know all about him and basically nothing. Because we know about the Captain but not about Steve Rogers.”

“Who is very different from his superhero alter ego,” Darcy added bitterly, which Sam didn’t take up.

“Yes, Steve is very different from his portrayal and he fosters that, too. Because, sure, the guy can’t lie to save his life but sometimes it’s really hard to get a read on him. He has several masks, really. There’s Cap, obviously, but he also has this brave face he puts on because he doesn’t want people to get close. And he can be very ‘Commander Steve Rogers’, too. You know, cool, aloof, commanding, calculating… But in the end he’s just a nice guy from Brooklyn, a total sassmaster and a real troll sometimes.”

“Seriously? I don’t see any of that. All I’m doing is asking myself how he can be the leader of men when he’s so constipated and uptight.”

“Oh yeah, I heard about that ice age happening between you two. That’s a side of Steve I haven’t really encountered yet.”

“Guess that makes me special then?” Darcy said wryly.

“You have no idea.”

They watched the end of the movie in silence and didn’t change the channel when a news program started. Their headline was a discussion about the fall of SHIELD and the ongoing investigation.

“Five months after the fall of SHIELD and they are still going strong about this,” Sam commented.

Darcy just shrugged. “It’s the biggest security leak in the US history. I’m kind of glad that they are still discussing this and not trying to sweep it under the rug.”

“Yes, but it’s become a political minefield where people are trying to establish their own political agenda. The Senate committee is basically just a front for political games and mudslinging.”

“Oh, boy, yes,” Darcy nodded vigorously. “But you know that the Captain is going to get a nice subpoena for Christmas. And if not for Christmas then very early in the New Year. They are getting ready for it, really. It’s a wonder that they haven’t called you yet, Sam. They are trying to get everybody who was involved on that fateful day in May.”

“I wouldn’t mind going, really,” Sam said with a shrug. “It’s not that I have much to say. Steve and I, we knew each other for barely a week. I was only marginally aware of SHIELD from my military background. I cannot really contribute much to the discussion. Not like Maria and Natasha, not like Steve.”

“Yeah, Captain America’s attendance will be their crowning achievement. They are preparing to chew him up. He should just volunteer the information and be done with it.”

“He would never do that. Steve is just stubborn and righteous and has other pressing matters to attend.”

“But what exactly? What are the pressing matters Captain America has to do these days? It’s so secretive! And I get that he has been burned and all, but these days it makes him look suspicious. For all intents and purposes, they will make him look like he was actively trying to overthrow the government. It’s a good thing that he has a very positive public profile, so public opinion is on his side, but that’s not going to save him forever. Not from the political machinations on Capitol Hill.”

At this moment the subject of their discussion, a sleepy Steve Rogers, came padding into the room.

“Oh,” was his first reaction, then: “Sam, Miss Lewis.”

“Steve, were your ears burning because we were talking about you?” Sam asked good-naturedly.

“You were?” he answered hesitantly. “Do I even want to know?”

“Yup,” Sam answered, “about your inevitable appearance in front of the senate. Darcy was just beginning to give me a lecture about the public’s right to know and such.”

“Ah, okay,” the Captain said unenthusiastically.

“Very perceptive political science expert that she is,” Sam continued, causing Darcy to look at him suspiciously. “You should talk to her before you are called in front of the senate.”

“Let’s just hope I can avoid the appearance as long as possible, shall we? Or maybe even forever.”

“Seriously? That is your tactic?” Darcy couldn’t help but ask disbelievingly. “Avoidance?”

“Well, we all know that the subcommittee hearing is basically political mudslinging,” the Captain said with a shrug. “My appearance wouldn’t change that, would it?”

“They will subpoena you anyway. You cannot avoid them forever. You know that, right? They got Natasha Romanoff, who has now fallen off the face of the earth. They got former Assistant Director Hill, who has gone private for all we know and once they’ve gathered enough ammunition, they’ll come after you, too.”

“Thanks for your insight, Miss Lewis,” he said harshly. “I know how to play the political game. I just don’t like it and frankly: I have other, more pressing things on my mind right now.”

“What is it that you are doing at the moment? And why is it so pressing and yet so secretive? The public has a right to know. And they want to know what Captain America does with his newfound free time.”

“It’s a private matter which shouldn’t interest anybody in the least,” he insisted. “I’d rather keep it that way.”

“Ok, your funeral, but you will nevertheless have to stand and justify your actions. Why and how did you do what you did back in May?”

“As I said: We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

“Well, I think you should just preempt them. Be upfront. Nothing can really upstage the reveal that one of our most trusted intelligence agencies was taken over by a Nazi cult.”

“You’d be surprised,” the Captain said acerbically. “News about my private life and mystery girlfriend definitely did.”

“Very funny,” Darcy said without humour. “Your public profile is what saves you at the moment. You and all the other male Avengers have an awesome public image right now. This makes you practically untouchable. And the great, the legendary Captain America is probably the most unapproachable one. But we live in a world where people are trying to cultivate constant public fear and from that it’s just one tiny step to paranoia. Your aloofness is also very dangerous because the vultures will start to circle. And as much as they like a hero, Americans like nothing better than a fallen hero.”

~*~

**Celebrities and their holiday traditions**

_#4 Captain America and his new girlfriend Darcy Lewis_

First of all let’s get the rumours off the table. “They are hardly seen together because Darcy is busy with finals these days,” a friend explains. “It has thrown a wrench in the works for Thanksgiving, but obviously they both want their first holidays together to be special.”

So has the newly in love Captain America, the man with the plan, something romantic planned for their first holiday together?

“He definitely has a few cards up his sleeve,” another friend confirms. “Maybe a romantic getaway with just the two of them. Someplace sunny. But you never know, maybe he is needed elsewhere last minute.”

It’s good that he has a very understanding girlfriend, though: “Darcy is very relaxed in all this. She wants to be with him, that’s what that counts for her, but if he has pressing matters to attend, obviously she understands that they can always make good on missed celebrations later.”

 

Find out Tony Stark’s plans with Pepper Potts to make up for his Christmas chaos during last year’s festivities on the next page.

~*~

It was Pepper who approached the subject of holiday planning, when Darcy happened upon her and Tony one evening. “Darcy, are you planning to go home to your parents’ for Thanksgiving?”

“I haven’t decided yet. I have a lot of stuff to do for finals and such.”

“Ok, let us know when you’ve made up your mind. We’ll do a Thanksgiving dinner at the tower and you are of course invited,” Pepper just said.

“Thanks. Is there anything else I should consider?”

“The paparazzi camping in front of the house,” Tony chimed in.

“Right. They weren’t much of a bother these past weeks though. Not when they realised that I don’t visit my parents every other weekend and once they had enough shots of my parents going to work and all they practically disappeared.”

“They’ll be there,” Pepper predicted. “For Christmas as well. They’ll speculate on pictures of an impromptu ‘meet the parents’ with Steve for the holidays.”

Darcy sighed. “I know. The coverage is still going strong on that. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“You are always welcome to celebrate with us,” Tony reiterated. “That is, if you can behave in the Captain’s presence for one night?”

“If he can, too, I will be on my very best behaviour.”

In the end it was a mixture of the mountain of homework she had to do with finals coming up, the snowy weather forecast and the horde of paparazzi that began growing on her parents’ front lawn that made her stay at the tower for Thanksgiving.

The celebration didn’t turn out the way she expected. It was remarkably subdued for a Tony Stark party and didn’t include catering. Instead they prepared everything, even the turkey themselves; “they” being Bruce and Darcy mostly, while Clint “supervised” – and the occasional comment from Tony whenever he made it to the kitchen from where he was still tinkering in the labs.

To Darcy’s surprise, at the time decreed by Tony, they all assembled in the common room. Their makeshift group consisted of Tony and Pepper, Bruce, Clint, Jane and – to Darcy’s chagrin – the Captain. Tony had invited Rhodey as well, but he had had to decline because he was on duty and Sam celebrated with his own family and would only return on Sunday.

The meal and the conversation was fun. Once they were all fed and watered and about to fall into a food coma for the next few hours, they fell into little groups. Tony and Clint debated pop culture trivia with occasional interjections from the Captain. Pepper and Bruce were talking quietly. Darcy was seated next to Jane, who after a few minutes began scribbling frantically on one of the napkins, leaving Darcy to observe the rest of the group and contemplate.

She involuntarily asked herself how she had ended up there. It was nice, for sure, to be considered part of the group, but then, the group consisted of the Avengers and their partners – and her, who was a friend of a partner, whose significant other was currently residing in another realm.

Before she continued her depressing train of thought, she stood up to go to the kitchen to make herself some tea.

She rummaged through the drawers for her tea leaves that kept getting lost in a kitchen shared among seven people, while the water heated up and found the Captain leaning casually against the counter next to her when she looked up again. She tried not to let her surprise show.

“Are you okay?” he just asked, sounding sincere.

“Yeah,” she tried to act nonchalant, “just… you know, missing home. Missing my parents.” He looked at her quizzically, but didn’t say anything. “Don’t get me wrong! I like that you are having a traditional Thanksgiving and that Tony and Pepper invited me, but… it would have been nice if I had been able to go see them.”

“Trust me, I understand.”

“It’s the second time, too. Last year I was in London and couldn’t afford to see them. And this year…” Darcy let her words trail off. She didn’t want to accuse him. It was not his fault that the press circus waited at her parents’ house and that she had decided to stay at the tower to study. And because she had promised to be nice to him.

“The holidays are always hard when you can’t be with your loved ones,” he stated quietly, causing Darcy to look at him sideways.

“Do you want to elaborate on that?”

“No, not really.”

“Okay.”

They stood next to each other while Darcy continued making her tea; he then turned around to get a beer out of the fridge.

“Beer, huh? Thought you couldn’t get drunk.”

He sighed, unnerved. “I enjoy the taste and it’s nice, relaxing, in this atmosphere. Do you really think I walk around and refuse alcohol just because it doesn’t have an effect on me? And tell everybody to do the same?”

“Well, that would be very Captain-protecting-everybody’s-virtue-America of you.”

He raised an eyebrow at that. “I could probably get a slight buzz on for 10 minutes if I drowned 18 shots of tequila or something in under two minutes. I don’t recall exactly – Tony has done the math.”

“Of course he has,” was Darcy’s dry response.

“Yeah, he actually laid off his plans for world domination for two minutes to do this and then told me. He was kind of wounded when I wasn’t as thankful to hear the results as he thought I would be.”

They both looked at Tony at the other side of the room, having an intense discussion with Clint over something Darcy could not make out. “I swear, that man is like a kitten sometimes,” Darcy said, shaking her head. “He can be wholly concentrated on something and then he sees something shiny and he’s like ‘uh, I must try this’. Thankfully Pepper keeps him mostly in check these days.”

“And you, I heard.”

“Crazy scientist wrangling is one of my many talents. That’s what I was recruited for.”

“But it’s not something you want to do forever.” It wasn’t a question.

“Well,” Darcy shrugged, “it’s not really that challenging anymore. Jarvis does a lot of my stuff, like organising things, reminding them to eat. And then, Bruce does it too, because he needs food on a regular basis. Sure, I transcribe Jane’s notes and all, but I have no idea about the science behind it. I definitely cannot catch mistakes – if she makes any. My focus is on political stuff. I originally was the only intern applying for the job and I stayed with Jane because I like her, but it’s nothing I see doing myself for the rest of my life.”

“You’ll find a place. Stark Industries alone is huge. And Tony likes you.”

“And boy, don’t I plan to take full advantage of that.”

He looked at her with both eyebrows raised for a second and was about to say something, when a real fight broke out between Clint and Tony as their discussion (apparently over who was the best James Bond) had become increasingly vocal and antagonistic. Bruce and Pepper looked at the two squabbling for a few seconds and then blocked out the other discussion entirely and Jane, who was still scribbling away on now her second napkin, was not paying attention to her surroundings at all.

Steve sighed and straightened up. “I should probably try to defuse that.”

“Yes, you probably should, team leader. Just say George Lazenby is your favourite Bond and their whole mutual wrath will be directed at you.”

“I was going to go for Timothy Dalton and wait for their reaction. I didn’t want to be that obvious,” he smirked.

“Whatever you say, Captain. You are the master tactician after all.”

He had the situation defused within seconds with a comment Darcy couldn’t hear and had all of them laughing within minutes, making Darcy wonder which of his “many masks” as Sam had dubbed it he was showing them now.

It was clear from the dynamics that this was a makeshift family even though when asked they all insisted that this was better than being off alone. Below all the bickering and arguing the Avengers hid a great deal of affection for each other. This was the most relaxed she had seen any of them. She had never felt more out of place.

When Darcy returned to the table, she didn’t join any of the ongoing conversations but just let the remarks wash over her and observed the people around her. It was nice, she thought, being part of this group, even if it was only temporary. She had gotten to know most of them quite well over the past few weeks and she knew the people behind their larger than life personalities. She felt weirdly protective of them, too. She decided it was best to leave them to it and return to her homework.

“Guys, I’m calling it a night,” she announced and got up from her seat.

“Preparing to go to bed early for Black Friday shopping tomorrow?” Clint winked at her.

“Nope, I have a paper on the public perception of the classical hero narrative that’s calling my name. I hope it’s okay that I don’t help with the clean up?”

“Hey, you baked and helped prepare the stuffing and the turkey. We’ll clean up,” Bruce said.

“We’ll leave the leftovers in the fridge,” Tony said. “If you want some midnight snack or something. But if you take something that says ‘Tony’ or ‘Pepper’ on it, Jarvis will make an alarm sound that will probably wake up half the tower and will cause Steve to barge in shield at the ready in under 15 seconds.”

Darcy laughed at that. “Understood. I will only touch stuff that says ‘Clint’ on it then.”

“Hey!” Clint protested immediately while Tony just smirked and commented: “That’s a tactic which I approve of wholeheartedly.”

“But if you accidentally touch Tony’s food,” Bruce began, “and Steve comes to the rescue, he then could, ever the gentleman that he is, just escort you back to your apartment.”

“Why would he do that?” Darcy asked confusedly.

“Because he’s headed that way anyway? You guys are next door neighbours,” Tony pointed out.

“We are?” They both said at the same time.

“You two haven’t noticed yet?” Pepper asked.

“I’m hardly there,” they both said in unison.

Tony looked at both of them, one eyebrow raised. “That’s creepy.”

“Probably drift compatible,” Clint muttered under his breath.

“Well, be thankful, that you two have such silent and considerate neighbours,” Bruce said. “Thor sometimes does not have an indoor voice.” Jane actually blushed at that.

“Thanks for the mental image, Bruce,” Darcy grinned.

“You can always ask Steve how he managed, you know,” Tony said directed at Bruce. “He would know since he used to crash with Thor before Jane moved in. He never used his own apartment. Until now.”

“It was just for a short time,” the Captain deflected immediately. “No reason to move all my stuff when I was bound for DC anyway. And I never even considered his booming voice, really. He definitely didn’t interrupt any of my beauty sleep.”

“Because you don’t need the beauty sleep thanks to my father’s hottie beefcake machine,” Tony said with a wink.

“And he was Sleeping Beauty for almost 70 years,” Bruce added. “He has a lot of sleep reserves.”

“As interesting and scientifically significant the discussion of the Captain’s sleeping habits certainly is, I’ll leave you guys to it. If there are important scientific discoveries leave them with Jane and I will get to it on Monday.”


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love you guys. Seriously, I love you reactions and your comments! And I love answering them (as you might have seen already). This is what keeps me going.
> 
> Lots of thanks to [KByrd](http://archiveofourown.org/users/kbyrd) for her beta magic.
> 
> Sorry, that took me a while! Anyway, in the interim I've posted some [outtakes](http://amerna.tumblr.com/post/126053825176/anniversary-post) and [one snippet](http://amerna.tumblr.com/post/125132255061/todays-writing) on my tumblr, in case you are interested. You are always welcome to come and talk to me/prompt me on my tumblr as well!

### Chapter 6

**You know what irks me most about Captain America? That we really don’t know a thing about him**

By Evangeline James | @historiansrule

I know that some of you are shaking your heads already because the headline is very clickbait-y, but then I almost titled this "What irks me most about Steve Rogers" and then I realized nobody will read it, which kind of proves my point. We don’t know much about Captain America’s alter ego Steve Rogers – except what the authorities have been feeding us the past seven decades.

I am a historian by trade so I know that World War II is the most thoroughly researched era in history, but our knowledge about the world’s first superhero remains scarce – that is, the knowledge beyond what we’ve been fed by almost 70 years of political propaganda. Or I should rather say, remained scarce so far because we don’t yet know what else we will find in the SHIELD data dump about the Captain and his Howling Commandos.

But ignoring the potential knowledge we might gain from the SHIELD files (which will probably take decades to wade through and analyse), the coverage we have on Captain Steve Rogers has started to become very contradictory from the early 21st century on, long before he was pulled out of the ice. I am mostly loath to actually mention a TV show as a good example, but then we have all seen the Howling Commandos HBO miniseries a few years back with the additional documentary coverage about the Captain and his contemporaries. Based on this there was a sudden sharp increase in interest about him and most of the new facts uncovered since then made us re-evaluate many of our pre-conceived notions about him.

I know it’s a TV show, but for the first time we were shown the full scope of blood and death and the atrocities of World War II that Steve Rogers (and every other allied soldier) undoubtedly experienced. It was a far cry from the brightly coloured comic books where he knocked out Adolf Hitler and the terrible 70s movies that were thinly veiled propaganda pieces during the Cold War era.

The show made it clear that we should do some further research on his leadership style, to which we are only getting now. If you ever have the chance to visit the Smithsonian exhibit: there’s a makeshift movie theatre in one of the corners with testimonials from his contemporaries. You haven’t _lived_ until you’ve heard the story with the goat as narrated by Dum Dum Dugan. It’s told with a great deal of affection and you get the feeling that there are a thousand similar stories around but this was the best one. So, as much as Captain Steve Rogers is painted as the perfect, inspirational leader of men that he undoubtedly was (is?), he was not your ordinary commanding officer. He was most likely more than the boring, vanilla, goody two-shoes and questioned authority and got his hands dirty in the process. So how did he really lead a troop of equals in a very gruelling campaign all over Europe?

But we should also re-evaluate him in light of his personal relationships. I think it says a lot that plenty of the facts about James “Bucky” Buchanan Barnes (his best friend since childhood who died under his command!) only came to light a little more than ten years ago and we still only know a fraction of it. We can now assume that Bucky Barnes – a talented sniper in his own right – followed him into their missions on the European theatre out of more than myth of the “the best men assembled around Captain America”. So what kind of friend was Steve Rogers that he inspired such loyalty?

I should also mention his relationship with SHIELD founder and Director Margaret “Peggy” Carter. As it turns out it was much more than the pure, chaste relationship we were led to believe. For what we know by now these two carried out an exclusive, serious relationship for most of World War II. And I strongly believe that she didn’t fall for his heroic jawline, his commanding aura and his strong leadership in the battlefield. What kind of man did the then-Agent Carter fall in love with?

And while for the ordinary historical figure those would be some very tough questions to answer, with Steve Rogers we now have the situation that he is once again among us and that he theoretically could give us the answers himself. I actually don’t expect him to do it, because I understand that he doesn’t want to bare his soul to the public and that for him most of his missions and actions in the 40s were just “what he did back then because it was the right thing to do”, but now he is just silent on everything and that is even more frustrating.

I fully understand that Steve Rogers is a real person and a private person by the looks of it. But then he’s also a living, breathing, world-changing, unique-in-every-aspect legend and therefore a person of public interest, which is why we should have an interest in his life. It’s not that we need to know about every public outing he attends with his girlfriend (as much as the tabloids like to report on it), but just general stuff. Is he doing well? Is he adjusting? What are his thoughts on the 21st century in general?

We have all read that one lauded piece by Ben O’Malley and he’s on record stating that he has a couple of grievances with the new age (technology **not** being one of it) and that he’s still grappling with the fact that “the Captain” has become larger than the real man. But we don’t know much beyond that because afterwards he was quick to vanish into obscurity. So for all we know he could only be let out of his padded cell for the occasional propaganda/fluff piece and charity appearance – and for toppling Nazi infested intelligence agencies. I obviously exaggerated for effect, but we need to know more about Steve Rogers, both the historical figure and the present man.

While we obviously don’t want the “Captain America Stamp of Approval” on every legislative/societal issue, hearing his thoughts on some things would probably lend a unique perspective. He might be more progressive than we think, he was after all disappointed we didn’t have a female president yet. So what are his thoughts on gay marriage? Cuba? Global warming? I’m going on a limb here and assume that Steve Rogers – as a person who lived during a period where polio outbreaks reached pandemic proportions – would be appalled that some people don’t vaccinate their kids.

So let me repeat again: what do we really know about Captain America that hasn’t been influenced by more than 70 years of political propaganda? I get his need for privacy, but by now the myth is larger than the man and you cannot help but wonder: Who is Steven Grant Rogers? It would be great if he answered some questions.

~*~

Monday did not start well for Darcy. When during her morning lecture, her professor announced that the political situation surrounding the Avengers and SHIELD would definitely be part of the finals, one of her classmates objected that Darcy would have an unfair advantage because she knew them “intimately.” She tried to remain calm despite the snickering from her fellow students and her professor not saying anything, but in the end she couldn’t help but make a sharp remark that shut him up really quickly but would probably come back to bite her later.

Still, the whole situation left her irritated and twitchy and once again emphasized a critical point: She would have a lot of difficulties finding a job in the political field with her reputation influenced by the common perception that she was sleeping with Captain America.

She wanted to talk with Jane about this, but when she returned to the labs in the afternoon, Jane was in deep discussion with Bruce and Darcy knew better than to disturb her. There wasn’t much for her to do in the lab that day, she finished the work Jane had left on her desk quickly and then swivelled around in her chair, her mind wandering. She could have done some studying for the finals, but she didn’t want to. Finally she took her tea and marched over to Tony’s engineering lab to find some distraction.

Tony looked up from his work (some wiring involving a miniaturized arc reactor) when she entered. “Hey, what’s up, kiddo?”

“Nothing,” Darcy shrugged.

He looked at her critically. “Sure?”

“Yeah. I’m just looking for a distraction.”

“Well, I don’t have any actual work for you, but you can always entertain me with your witty banter while I’m trying to figure stuff out.”

“Sorry, I’m coming up empty.”

“Tiring day?” Tony said knowingly.

“That’s one way to put it.”

She stood next to Tony and observed him silently for a while.

“How come I was actually assigned to an Avengers floor?” Darcy had wanted to ask that for a while now. The revelation that she was the next door neighbour to Captain America had just put this on the forefront of her mind. “I mean, shouldn’t I have gotten some… unloved closet under the stairs where nobody else wanted to live?”

Tony just shrugged. “Don’t know. Jarvis assigns the unoccupied apartments. I guess he knew that you had enough clearance and the apartment was free and it was an easy way to your work, so… makes kind of sense?”

“Other than I am not actually an Avenger,” Darcy pointed out.

“You are Avengers support these days, that’s got to count.”

“And the other support sleeps where?”

“With other Avengers,” Tony said with a wink, for which Darcy punched him in the shoulder. “But seriously, we are a tight knit group these days, there aren’t many people we let into our ranks.”

“Yes, the Captain reminds me of this every time. He doesn’t trust me.”

“It’s not that.”

“No? What is it then? I’m dying to get to know his inner workings.”

Tony looked pensive for a moment. “It’s just… he has a lot on his mind these days.”

Darcy snorted loudly. “I’ve been told that many times and I have yet to see the proof. He’s not exactly what you would call… open.”

“These days he isn’t,” Tony agreed. “He has his reasons, though.”

“That doesn’t excuse his cold behaviour and general dislike of every word I utter,” Darcy pointed out. “Also, his silence makes him look very suspicious. And in the long run it will hurt him and his credibility. I’ve told him that already but I think my comments have fallen on deaf ears. America’s favourite son turns out to be pretty disappointing.”

Tony didn’t react to that but looked at her closely. “You really are in a mood today. Did he do something to irritate you again? I thought you guys were on the road to some actual understanding. Didn’t you have a moment during Thanksgiving? I thought I saw you two talking with each other without disagreeing.”

She hopped onto the counter of the little kitchenette that was installed in the lab, her feet dangling in the air. She took a sip of her tea. “It’s not him. Well, not really. I had stuff at university today…”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Tony swivelled around in his chair to look at her.

“As a matter of fact, yes.”

~*~

On Monday afternoon Steve got the first alert from the programme Tony had built months ago to help find Bucky. After Natasha had dumped all of SHIELD’s files onto the internet, Tony – or mostly Jarvis – had siphoned the sensitive data about their inner circle off the internet and onto private servers. Tony had then used all the data from both SHIELD and Hydra files to build an algorithm that looked for specific keywords and people related to both the Winter Soldier and James Buchanan Barnes.

And now it had found something. The notification was about one of the Winter Soldier’s former handlers. Apparently one of them had ended up dead under very suspicious circumstances in Bruges off all places. The police were investigating and the programme had reacted to his name mentioned in a police report. Steve didn’t even want to know how the programme had accessed the Belgian police database.

Steve skimmed the police report but couldn’t find anything helpful. The basic content was that the police were investigating but so far didn’t have many leads. Aldus Vitkosky had led a solitary and inconspicuous life in Bruges. There were signs of a struggle, but no signs of a break-in and nothing was taken from the house, leading to the thesis that he had known his assailant. There were no known enemies. They were so far unaware of his Hydra ties.

“Jarvis, where is Tony?” Steve asked into the silence of his apartment, because he felt he should talk things over with him before making any rash decisions.

“Mr Stark is currently in his engineering workshop,” the AI answered.

“Can you alert Sam and tell him to meet me there?” he requested.

“Of course, Captain. Mr Wilson is at the gym at the moment.”

Steve headed down to Tony’s workshop taking two steps at a time, eager to get his opinion only to realise that Tony was not alone.

“So that's what I said, too,” he heard Darcy Lewis say exasperatedly, before he rounded the corner and stopped by the entrance and took in the scene before him. Tony was hunched over at his workstation, a mountain of wires laid out in front of him, while Darcy was sitting behind him on the countertop of the small kitchenette, a cup in her hand, her feet swinging merrily and bumping against the cupboards occasionally.

“What did you do then?” Tony asked, without looking up from the work in front of him.

“I told him to his face that even though I might know a few of you personally that I still have to uphold academic standards.”

“That sounds very… composed for you, to be honest.”

“And then I added that Tony Stark’s connections could get me anywhere and him nowhere, which shut him up really quickly.”

“Atta, girl! Go for it! I would high five you, but my hands are full at the moment.”

“Thanks, but in retrospect – not my finest hour. It was basically a threat of abusing power. Power I do not have and with stuff you would never do. You guys have enough on your plate in the political arena and I shouldn’t spout this nonsense just because I’m tired of not being taken seriously because of-” Darcy stopped mid-sentence, when she noticed him standing in the door.

Tony, surprised by her sudden silence looked up from his work and saw Steve. “Come on in, Cap!” Tony waved, pliers in his hand. “The more, the merrier!”

Steve entered the workshop slowly and then settled at the other end of the room, leaning against one of the metal tool cabinets. “Hi… I was actually hoping-”

“Give me a sec,” Tony interrupted, “you’ll both have my full attention in a few moments.” He continued to fiddle with the wires and then with a triumphant “Aha!” a light went on in the middle of the pile.

He sat back on his chair and rolled a few feet from his workstation, his chair coming to a halt next to Darcy. He looked up between his two visitors. “Darcy, you good?” he then asked, eyeing her curiously.

“Peachy,” she answered and took a sip from her cup.

“Keep all that stuff in and you’ll get an ulcer,” Tony commented. To Steve’s surprise Darcy didn’t shoot back immediately. Instead a look passed between her and Tony that Steve couldn’t quite decipher, but to his surprise Tony didn’t say anything further and instead focused on him.

“So, Cap, what brings you here?”

Steve cleared his throat awkwardly. “Um, I was hoping I could talk to you… in private,” he added with a telling look at Darcy.

She hopped down from the counter immediately. “Wow, Captain, way to make a girl feel welcome. You could have said out loud that little assistant me has to make space for America's most beloved superhero. Subtlety is not one of your strengths, is it, Captain? But what was I expecting? You wear red, white and blue on a regular basis. Not really inconspicuous colours in battle. And you basically have a gigantic target in the form of a star printed on your chest.”

“Darcy,” Tony tried to appease her immediately, while Steve was taken aback by her sharp tone and didn’t know how to react for a second. He hadn’t meant to be impolite, but to him it had seemed that Tony’s and Darcy’s conversation had finished.

“Sorry,” Darcy said without any hint of regret, “bad day.”

Steve frowned at her. “No problem,” he said. “I can come back later…” he offered.

“No no, you two do your super secret spy stuff. I’ll be next door, checking to see if Jane needs me now.” She was already at the door, when she turned around to face him. “Okay, it’s going to bother me if I don’t say anything. Captain Rogers, it's exactly this behaviour that gets you and your fellow band members into trouble.”

He stared at her upon the unexpected turn of the conversation. “What?”

“You know, all that secrecy. I’ve told you before: People are asking themselves what you are up to after toppling SHIELD. And with the lack of communication they fill the void with speculation.”

He straightened and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Did your imagination just take off from a request for a private conversation to political conspiracies Tony and I might be hatching?” he said with a voice full of disbelief. “And did you threaten to start rumours so we’d be eventually forced to tell the truth?”

“No, I didn’t mean it that way.”

“Steve, Darcy, please-” Tony interrupted them again, but Steve silenced him with a look.

“Then do enlighten me, Miss Lewis? How did you mean it?”

“Well, you stalk in here, all Captain America scowly face in place and practically throw me out of Tony’s lab for stuff you don’t want to talk about in public. And okay, fine, but I was just remarking to Tony earlier on that you, Captain, have not been exactly forthcoming in what you are doing. And there’s speculation about your political affiliation and fear mongering now that we all know what you are capable of, even without your whole merry band of misfits – no offence, Tony.”

“Well, have you considered that some things are, you know, _private_. Not necessarily matters of international political impact.”

“Oh really, with how many private matters do you have to personally consult Iron Man post haste?” Darcy remarked snidely.

“That’s none of your business?”

“Sounds like a phony excuse to me.”

“Do you honestly think you can bully me into revealing what I want to discuss with Tony?”

She shook her head. “Me? Bully America’s favourite son? No, I was just commenting on it. And I’m a concerned citizen after all. One of many, I might add.”

“Yes, but not an expert-”

“Excuse me?” she interrupted him, put down her cup on the glass surface of Tony’s workplace with a clink and came standing in front of him, hands on her hips. “You should know that I’m perfectly qualified for this. Political science and all.”

“So you think you might be, on the political arena,” Steve conceded. “But Miss Lewis, people might think that we are close due to the portrayal of our relationship in the press, but not close enough for that kind of conversation.”

“What exactly are you insinuating? That I kiss and tell? Or in our case, people think we kiss and I tell everything?”

Steve looked down at her. “No, it’s just that I’ve learned to play my cards close to the chest. As I said, the original topic of my conversation with Tony is private. I have no reason to trust you, so I’d rather keep whatever it is in a small circle.”

She stared up at him. “So you have deemed me not trustworthy, then. Wow, Captain America is judging me.”

“Yes, my judgement keeps people alive. And I’ve not deemed you untrustworthy, I just don’t know you well enough.”

“Yes, which is my fault entirely, because you’ve made such a great effort at getting to know me.”

“Have you considered-”

“Hey Steve, you-” They were interrupted by Sam, who had wandered into the lab and stopped dead in his tracks, taking in the scene before him.

Darcy took a step back from Steve who now just realised how close she had come.

She took a deep breath and then said evenly: “I have considered a lot of things, Captain Rogers, but since I am purposefully being kept in the dark I am delegated to the same fate as the media: assumption. And back to my original point: That’s a dangerous place to be. Think about it.” She picked up her cup from Tony’s desk and went for the door. “Because as fascinating as our little discussion was, I’ll leave you guys now to your hardboiled super secret shenanigans.”

Sam looked after Darcy sauntering out of the room and then at Steve and Tony. “Did I interrupt something important?” he then asked the two men confusedly.

It was Tony who answered with a shrug. “I don’t know. Ask Steve here. I was just about to excuse myself so that those two could passionately throw themselves at each other. In whatever form. You could practically cut the tension between the two of them with a knife. Dear me, Cap, dear me, you and Darcy have chemistry.”

“Haha,” Steve said tonelessly. “Very funny. Did Natasha delegate her matchmaker duties to you?”

“She did not but if you need help with hooking up, I could totally be your wingman – pun so not intended. I could put in a good word with Darcy for you. You know, since she seems to like me.”

“Thanks, I’ll give it a pass.”

“What was Darcy doing here to begin with?” Sam asked.

“Stuff from her university. The Avengers are part of her syllabus and some of her fellow students have been giving her a hard time about it today. Well, not the Avengers per se, but more her assumed relationship with you, Steve. But she made a good point about the need for public accountability, even before she got into that heated… discussion with Steve. She is very aware of the political implications of our actions.”

“Really?” Steve hadn’t meant for it to sound so disbelieving.

Tony looked at him shrewdly. “Don’t underestimate Darcy because of her youth or her snarky Millennials attitude. She has a great political mind and we could put it to use, too. I don’t know how far you really pay attention to her arguments in your frequent debates, but she is definitely not wrong. Especially in her points about the political implications of that security vacuum SHIELD’s destruction left behind. You should talk to her about that. And try not to rile her up.”

Steve just hummed non-committally. “I’ll leave it to the experts. Now that Sam is here as well: Can we focus on the recent news? The suspicious death in Bruges?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As regards the mention of the HBO Howling Commandos show that's mentioned in the article: Like many of you I have the headcanon that there totally would be a critically acclaimed in-universe HBO show (which I still wish existed in exchange for the 2 minute WWII montage we got in CATFA...). When I saw these tumblr posts they were just too perfect to not mention, because that's totally how the show would look like. [No 1](http://bhrnes.tumblr.com/post/108888527851/so-based-on-the-popularity-of-my-post-i-thought), [No 2](http://bhrnes.tumblr.com/post/109153053986/hbos-howling-commandos-poster-series-2-1), [No 3](http://bhrnes.tumblr.com/post/110391003491/hbos-howling-commandos-poster-series-3-10-1), [No 4](http://bhrnes.tumblr.com/post/112280962016/hbos-howling-commandos-poster-series-11-1-2), [No 5](http://bhrnes.tumblr.com/post/122868816421/hbos-howling-commandos-photo-archive-x).


	8. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back from my mini beach vacation! I didn't go sailing because the weather was too bad on that day, I found out that I don't like lobster and I'm sunburned like there's no tomorrow. So I'm home, feeling sorry for myself and thought I might post the next chapter. If you want to come talk to me/cheer me up/prompt me [on my tumblr](http://amerna.tumblr.com/), I might write you a fictional in-universe media account! ;-)
> 
> Other than that: Here's an accurate portrayal of me whenever I read your comments:  
>   
> Also one of the cutest gifs of bearded Chris Evans. You are welcome.
> 
> Seriously guys, you are awesome! I love every single bit! Keep up the speculation and the suggestions and the death threats against Steve ;-)

### Chapter 7

There had been something fishy about the Captain’s consultation with Tony after all. The next morning Darcy found out that hours after their encounter in Tony’s lab the Captain disappeared to Europe with Sam in tow. She was still mulling over that revelation, when Pepper snuck her head in.

“Darcy, do you have a second?” she asked.

Darcy looked up from her textbook, which she was trying (and failing) to concentrate on and smiled. “Technically you employ me, so yeah, of course.”

“Great, follow me, I have someone I would like you to meet.”

Pepper led her out of the lab space towards the elevator. “Jarvis,” Pepper said, “take us to the SIESTA floor. And please update Darcy’s clearance to give her unrestricted access to it at any time. Both the physical office space and the dedicated server space.”

Darcy eyed Pepper sideways, but couldn’t ask anything, because the ever-efficient Jarvis answered “Of course, Miss Potts,” out of nowhere and then added: “Shall I assign her an office space as well?”

“Not yet,” Pepper answered.

The elevator stopped at the 58th floor, where Pepper and Darcy exited and at first walked straight ahead to an office at the other end of the floor. Darcy followed her and looked around, curious. The entire floor was office space, there were cubicles in the middle and offices and meeting rooms with glass doors on each side. The cubicles were all empty, as were the majority of the offices. The office where Pepper took Darcy to was occupied by a tall, brunette woman, who rose from her desk when she saw the two of them approaching and motioned them to come inside.

“Darcy, this is Maria Hill,” Pepper performed the introductions. “Maria, this is Darcy Lewis.”

Maria Hill walked around her desk to shake Darcy’s hand. “Oh, big fan!” Darcy said excitedly. “I loved your appearance in front of the committee.”

“Thanks,” Maria said with a small smile.

“Idiots that they all were,” Darcy continued with a throwaway hand gesture. “I wanted to punch every single one of them, but you handled it with poise and patience. I hope you bought yourself some fancy new footwear or whatever you do to treat yourself.”

“We had martinis, a lot of martinis,” Maria answered, to which Pepper nodded her head.

“Alcohol,” Darcy nodded approvingly, “also a good way to drown away the experience.”

“So I think I don’t need to elaborate on Maria’s former status as Assistant Director of SHIELD and right hand woman to Director Fury?” Pepper asked amusedly, to which Darcy only nodded. “Great, you are clearly doing your homework. Maria Hill joined Stark Industries shortly after the fall of SHIELD and is now part of the Avengers Logistics team. Or more forming it at the moment.”

“Hah! I knew you guys were totally privatizing world peace!”

“That’s not the term we would like you to use,” Pepper said, “but that’s pretty much the gist of it.”

“What does SIESTA stand for then?” Darcy looked between the two women. “One S is clearly for Stark and the A is for the Avengers, what about the other four letters? And what’s with the constant use of acronyms?”

“It stands for Stark Industries Eagerly Supports The Avengers,” Maria explained with an eyeroll.

“It’s Tony’s idea, obviously,” Pepper added. “Don’t ask me, he finds it extremely funny. But you can convince him to change it. Tell him it’s not good for the public appearance or something.”

“Why me?” Darcy asked.

“Because we would like to offer you a job,” Pepper said. “For the Avengers public relations.”

“And the political liaisons,” Maria added.

Darcy stared at the two women with her mouth hanging open. “Are you kidding me?”

“No, we are quite serious,” Maria said.

“Are you offering me a job out of pity?” Darcy asked. “Because of some comment I made to Tony yesterday?”

“No, you are uniquely qualified,” Pepper explained calmly. “You are the only person with a political science background on the team. And you have made really valid points about the current political climate and the potential for a public relations nightmare we could face.”

Darcy still couldn’t believe the offer. “But I’m still a lowly student, I don’t have any working experience. One of my internships was helping an astrophysicist, nothing with political science. There are people out there who have worked on political campaigns and interned with congressmen and lobbying organisations. I’m basically a glorified lab hand.”

“That doesn’t change your qualifications,” Pepper objected calmly. “Darcy, we know what you are capable of. We’ve seen you in action. You were right about the political implications of SHIELD’s destruction. You’ve made valid points about the public perception of the Avengers, including why everybody leaped at the news of Captain America’s mystery girlfriend. You put the Stark Industries head of PR with more than 20 years of experience to shame. If you’d like, you can start working here tomorrow.”

“I don’t even have a degree,” her protest started to sound weakly even to her ears.

“That doesn’t matter,” Pepper stated immediately. “You don’t have to finish it to work with us. But we won’t keep you from pursuing your academic career if you’d like. As long as you are willing to work with us.”

“Seriously?” Darcy looked between Pepper and Maria, flabbergasted. “You want me that badly?”

“Yes,” it was Maria who answered. “We need someone with a fresh pair of eyes and political expertise. Someone who has the trust of the Avengers and doesn’t faint at the prospect of seeing a Norse God and Captain America on a regular basis. Someone with communication skills. Someone who can handle Tony Stark’s antics. Someone who knows the media, including the social media, and knows how to spin stories. It helps that you are in the public eye as Captain America’s girlfriend only at the moment and therefore widely underestimated, so you can hit them out of nowhere. We need to streamline this, both the PR aspect and the political aspect and you are perfect for the job.”

“But won’t people… you know… accuse me of nepotism? Because of… you know… the girlfriend aspect?”

Pepper looked her straight into the eye. “Yes, they will,” she just said in brutal honesty. “But they have accused you of much worse already. Do you think you can handle this? The accusations and everything else?”

It took Darcy only a split second to decide. “Yes,” she said firmly.

“Great!” Pepper said excitedly. “I knew you’d come around.”

“Glad to hear it,” Maria said with a smile.

“But I will finish up my Master’s degree,” Darcy continued. “It’s nothing against you, but if any of this goes south, I at least want a potentially totally worthless diploma and a mountain of student loans to keep me warm at night.”

“Really? You want to continue your studies?” Pepper eyed her curiously. “I thought you didn’t like it very much on campus… People were kind of giving you a hard time I heard…”

“Yeah, that’s why I have to prove them wrong. And I kind of like the academia, it’s a different take on what I am used to here at the tower. It’s just a few more months.”

“Okay,” Pepper said slowly, “we’ll accommodate you, of course. You’ve had no problem handling your studies and your job with Jane, so I imagine you’ll be up to working this part time until you are finished?”

“I think I can, yes,” Darcy said.

“Good.” Pepper nodded approvingly. “You will start to work with Maria during the next days and weeks – whatever is necessary to bring you up to speed. You will also continue to work with Jane, but keep the load light and start hiring your potential successor. You have finals coming up, so I will give you not that much of a workload. We will officially transfer you at the beginning of the next year. Hierarchy wise: You will continue to work for SI and you will report directly to me and to the head of the Avengers team, if they ever manage to appoint one. Same as Maria, really, who is currently your only colleague around here. Once we get this off the ground we can think about hiring more personnel for your team. I trust you can deal with your education and a part time job that includes a lot of learning at the same time?”

Darcy just nodded mutely.

“I will have the contract drawn up and ready at your desk by the end of the week.”

“That’s it?” Darcy asked incredulously.

“That’s it – that is, if you don’t have any further questions?” Pepper looked at her expectantly.

“I might have… But at the moment I feel like I’ve been steamrolled.”

“She does that to you,” Maria whispered conspiratorially.

“I do it with things I feel are right to do,” Pepper said, smiling. “If you have questions, you can always ask me or Maria, Darcy. And if you are unsure, please contact us immediately. But we are sure you are the right person for the job. None of us will regret this.”

“Okay… I guess. I’m definitely in. I just need a bit to process all this.”

“Great! Maria, we will leave you to continue your work. Darcy, I’ll bring you back to your desk. We’ll see a lot more of each other in the following weeks and months.”

They took their leave of Maria and headed back towards the elevators, Darcy walking numbly next to Pepper, still trying to process what had just happened.

“One last thing: Darcy,” Pepper interrupted her musings while they were waiting for the elevator to arrive. “I don’t mean to insult you, but you have to look the part as well. You will be a public figure, the time of jeans and hoodies for work is over. I will personally oversee that your wardrobe is appropriate, my assistant will get in touch to schedule a shopping trip.”

“I cannot possibly accept that,” Darcy started protesting.

“You can and you will. Consider it as some sort of signing bonus. We can take Jane along, if you like. It will be fun.”

“Wait, Jane! I totally forgot her! How do I break the news to her?”

“I think she already suspects. She sang your praises in the first place.”

~*~

The flight to Bruges was short and uneventful. Thanks to Tony’s contacts and the SI infrastructure, they managed to make it to the house in the outskirts of Bruges where Aldus Vitkosky had been found dead, in record time. Steve and Sam stood on the other side of the road and Steve looked over pensively, trying to figure out how to get into an active crime scene. Then suddenly somebody appeared next to them.

“So, you and that brunette, Darcy, is that really a thing? Is that why you shot down every attempt to set you up with somebody?”

Steve’s head flew around to look at the newcomer. Her hair was shorter and blonde and she wore a brightly coloured dress, but it was unmistakably Natasha Romanoff. Steve just looked at her with his mouth hanging open. Next to him Sam let out a short, surprised laugh.

“Because if that’s really the case you have a better poker face than I gave you credit for, Rogers.”

“How…?” Steve finally managed to gather his wits. “You return from the middle of nowhere being off the grid for how many months and you know more about the rumours about my love life than I do?”

Natasha just shrugged. “I needed, you know, a distraction. And Captain America’s love life is a big deal…”

“Even in Europe?” Steve asked incredulously.

“Hey, the Brits have the cattiest of all catty tabloids to ever cat, of course you are a hot topic here, too. Their favourite angle is that you are old enough to be her grandfather, at least chronologically.”

Behind Steve Sam shook his head disbelievingly. “Man, we went on a search for Bucky that took us to places I don’t want to talk about,“ he commented. “I spent weeks in a dumpster in the middle of nowhere, while Steve gave the word tense an entirely new meaning and now I’m picturing you on a beach somewhere, reading _Hello_ magazine.”

Natasha smiled widely. “Well, I did that too, but that became boring really fast, so I figured I do a bit reconnaissance. I mean I ended up in Bruges too, didn’t I?”

“Yes, let’s please talk about that for a change,” Steve said. “How did you end up here?”

“Well, I got it through the grapevine. The victim was an old… _friend_. Naturally the suspicious circumstances surrounding his death only added to the speed at which the news travelled.”

“Seeing that he was an old _friend_ , you were devastated, of course and that’s why you came to pay your respects?”

“Very funny. And not that far off, Rogers. I’ve been in this business for a long time. How many old _friends_ do you imagine I have? And I don’t mean chronologically ancient like you are. Most of them, friend or foe, die early and badly. So I’m curious who killed a man, who was long gone from the business, at the ripe old age of 78.”

“Did you know that he had Hydra ties?” Sam wanted to know.

Natasha shook her head. “But that doesn’t need to mean anything. Six degrees of separation and all. Even I have Hydra ties from… back in the day. Now that I know who actually is Hydra. They are basically everywhere.”

“He had very specific Hydra ties,” Steve supplied.

“Of the wintery kind?” Natasha asked. “You think this was Bucky?”

“Yes? Maybe? I kind of hope not?” Steve shrugged helplessly. “The thing is: it’s easy to follow a trail of dead bodies. But then I don’t really want Bucky to be on a rampant, murderous revenge killing spree. Bucky is… Bucky was not a violent person. So I hope that, now that he’s broken free of his Hydra programming, he’s not one either. And then, even the Winter Soldier wasn’t a violent person I feel. The things he did for Hydra… he was brainwashed and given a mission. I don’t imagine him randomly garrotting people for revenge now that he probably is without a mission. So I’m kind of hoping it’s him because we are desperately hoping for a clue but I also hope it’s not him because I don’t want him to be a cold blooded killer.”

“Hhhmm, I kind of understand. So, what are you going to do next?”

“We actually hadn’t gotten that far in our planning yet,” Steve admitted.

“Oh, you are adorable, Rogers. Running to every city where there’s even a hint your brainwashed best friend might have done something. So I guess we follow the evidence first and see if it was Bucky and if we can follow him.”

“Follow him?” Sam asked. “Where to?”

“I don’t know. We’ll take it one step at a time. All I know is that if this was Bucky, we won’t find him in Bruges any more. He’s a trained killer who knows what he’s doing. He would be gone from the city before the body was cold. So we have to find out if it’s worth following him.” Natasha was pensive for a moment. “I’ve got a contact here in the city.”

“Of course you do,” Sam grinned.

“Nothing happens without him knowing. Let me talk to him. I’ll meet up with you in a few hours.”

~*~

The high from being offered a job that mattered didn’t last long for Darcy. Her first day of finals was horrible. She went to the labs afterwards and let herself fall into her chair, exhausted. At the other end of the lab Jane was tinkering with Tony and Bruce. The latter was the only one who looked up at her entrance and looked at her, frowning.

“You okay, Darcy?” he then said loudly, causing Jane and Tony to look in her direction as well.

“Yeah,” she answered with a throwaway gesture.

“How did your exam go?” Tony wanted to know.

“Oh, good, good, yeah, it went well.”

“You don’t look like it,” Jane observed.

“No, the exam went well. But I kind of got attacked by one of Captain America’s groupies on campus today.”

“What?” Jane stared at her with her mouth hanging open.

“Well, not really attacked as in physically attacked, but harassed and verbally abused? I had to call campus security.”

“And then what?”

“I don’t know.” Darcy tried to shrug like it was not a big deal. “I went to my exam.”

“Darcy!” Jane sounded scandalized.

“What? I needed to go. I have finals to attend! This is about my future, I’m not going to mess it up because of some crazy person.”

“Did you get her personal information at least?” Bruce asked.

Darcy shook her head. “No.”

“You should find out,” Tony chimed in. “No, better yet, I will find out. Jarvis, get me the details,” he ordered. “We should talk lawsuit, maybe a restraining order.” Tony had begun pacing in the lab, behind him Jane nodded vigorously.

“Please, don’t make a big deal out of it,” Darcy tried to defuse the situation.

“No, don’t try to play it down, Darcy,” Jane insisted. “You are visibly shaken! We cannot allow this.”

“It’s really nothing. Nothing I didn’t expect with this whole crazy thing that I’m Captain America’s girlfriend. It was just a matter of time until one from the crazy branch of the Star Spangled Sisterhood would get to me.”

“Which is why we should set an example,” Tony persisted. “These fangirls should not be allowed to-”

“No, Tony, don’t judge them all by this precedent,” Darcy interrupted. “Most of the fans are nice. It’s a few of the bad eggs that ruin it all. Trust me, I’m a member of fandoms. I should know.”

“How can you still defend them?” Jane asked irritated.

“I know how stuff on the internet works. There are always a few people without inhibitions and entirely too much imagination out there. There will always be death threats against wives, girlfriends, children and all – even the presumed ones. I’m lucky it was only this. We should aim for fandom to regulate itself and not risk a public nightmare with rash legal actions.”

“I’m still not convinced,” Jane said.

“Neither am I,” Tony agreed.

“It’s her decision, though,” Bruce pointed out.

“Which doesn’t mean I have to like this,” Jane countered.

“I don’t want you to do anything,” Darcy stated. “Jarvis, stop whatever you are doing. Let’s hope this is the only time something like this happens. That’s all.”

~*~

**Mod Post – Re: Darcy Lewis (Part II)**

We had thought that one mod post would be enough on this. Sadly, it isn’t. Guess as long as the Captain remained single and unattached we didn’t really encounter the full ugly side of the internet. Let us just say one thing: Stay clear of the Captain’s private life! Do not approach him or Darcy Lewis! No matter their media portrayal, they are all real people. Please respect their privacy.

And while we have to appeal to human decency already: Stop hating on Darcy Lewis. No matter what you read about her, if she’s a manipulative minx or the new patron saint of the Avengers: You cannot know if it’s real or not. Stop judging her by her media portrayal and for God’s sake, do not confront her, accuse her or generally behave like an awful human being in regards to her.

We want to uphold the atmosphere in this community where we discuss the Avengers’ merit and their actions and such, not the gossip rags and their private life. Much of it is speculation anyway. If you need to vent or air your feelings on anything that relates to their private lives: Take it elsewhere, people. Such behaviour will not be tolerated here.

~*~

Natasha’s contact sent them to a local computer whiz who was the only person able to circumvent the security system installed at Vitkosky’s house, which was why there had been no signs of a break-in. It took less than five minutes for him to crack under Natasha’s interrogation, after which he told them all they wanted to know.

There had been a guy who had paid him very well to crack the security system. He thought it was a normal theft, he didn’t know that he had become accessory to a murder. He didn’t have a name, all he could tell them that he had been tall and dark-haired and definitely not from around here. Oh, and he had paid by wire transfer, maybe that could help?

They used the wifi at a local coffee shop to have Natasha set up a laptop and trace the account number. While Natasha was happily typing away and because she was probably annoyed by Steve’s impatient hovering she started their previous conversation again.

“So, you and Darcy, I have to say, I’m impressed. She is gorgeous! How did an awkward specimen like you manage hook up with her to begin with?”

“I didn’t hook up with her,” was Steve’s acerbic reply.

“Oh really?” Natasha sounded like she didn’t believe him one bit.

“Yes, really,” Steve insisted.

“Sam?” Natasha addressed him directly.

Sam just shrugged. “You just have to take his word for it. No hooking up as far as I can tell and what the press wants you to believe.”

“See!” Steve said smugly.

“But,” Sam continued, “they have that weird repressed flirty thing going on where they stare at each other angrily and get into fights about random things.”

“Sam!” Steve exclaimed.

“What? It’s true. Last time there was yelling involved, I heard,” he told Natasha mock conspiratorially. “And slamming doors.”

“Oh, did you pull her pigtails, too?” Natasha grinned.

“There were no slamming doors,” Steve denied immediately.

“Yeah, because 99% of the doors in the tower are sliding doors operated by Jarvis. But it kind of felt like it,” Sam continued.

Steve felt that the question wasn’t worth an answer, which didn’t keep Sam from continuing the pestering. “It’s very subtle. They have a kink for rank and proper address, too. It’s all ‘Captain Rogers’ and ‘Miss Lewis’ between the two of them.”

Steve glared at both of them, which left them entirely unimpressed. “You two are very funny. A veritable bunch of comedians.”

“Oh, come on, Steve,” Sam explained, “you two have chemistry. You are mostly so calm and collected up to the point of almost being aloof and above us mere mortals these days. But with Darcy you are all heated feelings and arguments. You react to her more strongly than expected. She pushes your buttons.”

“The question is: Does she push the right ones?” Natasha added.

“There’s no button pushing. Or any other pushing,” Steve insisted. “It all has no further meaning. We just don’t like each other, that’s all.”

“So, why do you not like her?” Natasha eyed him curiously.

“She’s just so… loud and brash and into everybody’s business. She has everybody practically wrapped around her little finger.”

“And that’s a bad thing?” Natasha inquired.

“Not necessarily, but I would like to have some peace and quiet and not… have to vet an entirely new person in the group. But we just… happen to come across each other and she… she’s so damn opinionated.”

Natasha snorted loudly. “You are one to talk,” she then said, for which Steve glared at her.

“It’s just… I have enough on my mind already. I would like for Darcy Lewis to leave me alone, that’s all.”

“Wow, you really don’t like her,” Sam stated, one eyebrow raised in surprise.

“Yes, what do you think we were doing?”

“Don’t know,” Sam shrugged.

“A modern version of Much Ado About Nothing?” Natasha provided.

Steve was still deciding if he should react with silence or a very harsh comment to put the topic to rest once and for all, when Natasha looked at her screen and just said: “Huh… interesting.”

“What is?” Sam wanted to know immediately.

“So I traced the account number,” Natasha explained, “and our killer is not a total idiot, because he ran it through a few fictitious accounts. The last account holder is one Tomas Zeitlin from Vienna.

“Tomas Zeitlin is not a known alias of the Winter Soldier, is it?” Sam asked.

“Not as far as we know,” Natasha answered. “But then he probably burned all his aliases with the SHIELD data dump. That’s how I did it. And it’s not that difficult to acquire a new one. But that’s not the interesting thing.”

“What is?” Steve asked.

“I ran Tomas Zeitlin’s other account details and one of his credit cards was used this morning at a hotel not 10 miles from here.”

“Seriously?” Steve couldn’t contain his surprise.

“Yes,” Natasha nodded. “So he’s either very good at misleading or very stupid and sloppy at covering his tracks.”

“Do you have any other details?” Steve asked.

“Maybe security cam footage?” Sam added.

Natasha shook her head. “No, not as far as I can see. So should we just check out the hotel?”

It fell to Natasha to flirt with the concierge at the check-in desk to find out if Tomas Zeitlin was still a guest at the hotel (he was) and what his room number was (346). Sam then booked a room on the same floor to give them entrance to the hotel without raising too much suspicion.

They waited inside the room for a short while, during which Sam and Natasha thankfully did not continue their pestering about Steve’s love life, until the camera they had installed opposite of Zeitlin’s hotel room registered movement.

“Height, build and weight match Bucky,” Natasha observed from where she was looking at the screen over Sam’s shoulder.

“It is still pretty non-descript,” Sam said. “And since we can only see his backside this could be anybody.”

“So, shall we just crash through the front door or break in silently?” Natasha asked Steve.

“Let’s do this in silence during the night. No need to garner too much attention,” Steve decided.

They waited until most of the hotel guests had gone to sleep. Thankfully a good portion of their floor was unoccupied. They used the tech Tony had provided to clone the keycard and snuck into the room silently. Tomas Zeitlin was asleep in his bed, snoring loudly.

He was too old, there was no metal arm and it was entirely too easy to overwhelm and silence him. This definitely wasn’t Bucky.

Tomas Zeitlin looked at the three threatening figures with terror in his eyes.

“I’m going to take away the gag,” Natasha said slowly, “but please don’t start screaming. It will only make things more difficult for you. Do you understand?”

He just nodded silently.

“Good,” Natasha continued. “And then you are going to tell me everything about Aldus Vitkosky.”

Natasha freed his mouth and Tomas Zeitlin started to talk in German so rapidly, that even Steve with his conversational knowledge of German from the war had problems understanding him. Natasha on the other hand switched to impeccable German effortlessly and had him confessing to the murder and his motifs within minutes. Afterwards they left him tied up and gagged on his hotel bed.

“So it wasn’t Bucky after all,” Natasha stated. “He had nothing to do with this.”

“Basically just somebody with a grudge who used the whole Hydra/SHIELD upheaval to settle some old score.” Steve couldn’t keep the disappointment out of his voice.

“Basically yes.” Natasha nodded.

“But on the bright side, Bucky apparently isn’t on a murder spree intent on killing his old handlers,” Sam chimed in. “And I just solved my first murder.”

“Oh, yeah, we should probably get Bruges police involved at some point,” Natasha said.

“Do you want to hang around for that?” Steve asked.

Natasha shook her head. “No, not really.”

“We’ll deal with the diplomatic aspect then,” Sam offered.

“We do that and then we’ll head back to the states,” Steve agreed. “There’s nothing to keep us here then. No Bucky.”

“How are you doing with your search apart from this?” Natasha wanted to know.

“Most of our leads have gone cold. At this point it’s actually best to sit around in New York and wait until something pops up on our radar.”

“I bet you really like that,” Natasha commented.

Steve shrugged. “Yes, it’s hard. I want to do something.”

“Hence you immediately sprang into action when you heard about this,” Natasha stated.

“He’s slowly going stir crazy and has the super soldier version of cabin fever,” Sam explained. “Not his most attractive quality. Thank God we all like him enough to forgive him.”

“Then you need to take him out more.”

“You make me sound like a golden retriever,” Steve said mock accusatory.

Natasha swatted his arm playfully. “Don’t be that way, Steve. All I’m saying is that you need to relieve some of the tension. Maybe you should hook up with that girl, Darcy, for real. That would probably do it.”

“You are not letting that go, are you?”

“Of course not. That’s the most interesting thing to happen to you in years. In your private life, I mean. And I tried to set you up with every single SHIELD agent there was. What happened to Sharon anyway?”

“He never called her,” Sam answered for him. “And then she was snatched up by the CIA and disappeared.”

“Shame,” Natasha just commented. “Then you have to find a different way to keep this man occupied, Sam.”

“You could come with us,” Sam suggested. “And help me.”

Natasha shook her head. “No, I’m not ready for New York. Yet,” she added.

“Not even tempted by the prospect of meeting Captain America’s mysterious lady love?” Sam waggled with his eyebrows.

Natasha laughed at this. “I think I’ll go back to reading about the girl that defrosted Captain America’s heart, on a secluded beach in Thailand somewhere. But please Steve, don’t let me hear about your engagement from the papers.”

Steve rolled his eyes at this. “That will have to do, because I have no way of contacting you.”

“Ask Clint. He will find a way. But when you call me it better be to ask me if I want to be a bridesmaid in your wedding party.”

“Are you kidding? You are going to be my best maid. Or whatever you call a female best man.”

“Cheeky, I like it. My suggestion is that you put all your efforts into finding Bucky so that he can stand up with you as soon as possible. That should be your only reason to find him. Oh, the press would have a field day on that perfect re-union.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another note about inspiration: Do you guys know [mediavengers](http://mediavengers.tumblr.com/)? She's awesome. I wish I had her photoshop skills. Seriously, look at her manips, that's how I imagine real life coverage of the Avengers looks like.
> 
> Also, [Darian Robbins on twitter](https://twitter.com/darian_robbins) makes some amazing fanart of Wakanda and T'Challa, that have me very excited for 2018. Look [here](https://twitter.com/Darian_Robbins/status/621520198068248576), [here](https://twitter.com/Darian_Robbins/status/617151799376617473), [here](https://twitter.com/Darian_Robbins/status/602154953667411968), [here](https://twitter.com/Darian_Robbins/status/600784512809881600), [here](https://twitter.com/Darian_Robbins/status/596491318383267841), [here](https://twitter.com/Darian_Robbins/status/600393843809325056), [here](https://twitter.com/Darian_Robbins/status/589234463189655552), [here](https://twitter.com/Darian_Robbins/status/586269885648474112) and [here](https://twitter.com/Darian_Robbins/status/582391107096559616).
> 
> One mention of fictionalised movie/TV shows: [Steve Rogers at 100](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1599293) is hilarious in this regard. All the movies we thankfully never got. I briefly considered the movie angle in my fanfiction as well and I had already cast Mike Vogel as my terrible Captain America (with OC!era Adam Brody as Bucky Barnes) but these ladies did a much better job! There's artwork too!


	9. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter we have quite some time fly by, Steve returns from Europe, Darcy settles into her new role and then Christmas! And the New Year certainly starts with a bang…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early morning 6 am update before I leave for work. I can't believe I'm doing this... Anyway, the next update is **not** going to be as fast because I have stuff to do and things to accomplish before I fly back to Germany in two weeks to attend my brother's wedding. I plan on posting another chapter before I board that plane, but that's all that I can promise... You might hate me for this after this chapter, though...

### Chapter 8

**The great makeover! Pepper Potts takes Cap’s girlfriend under her wings**

If anybody was hoping for some Avengers catfight at the tower with the ladies feuding over the ranks in their increasing group, you are bound to be disappointed. As a matter of fact: You couldn’t be further from the truth.

Point in case: The impeccable Pepper Potts has taken Darcy under her wings.

The two significant others to the most high-profile Avengers, Iron Man and Captain America, were seen out and about on a Pretty Woman style shopping trip where they spent major bucks on Darcy’s new wardrobe.

They were further joined by common friend astrophysicist Dr. Jane Foster who is rumoured to have introduced Darcy to the good Captain and is therefore to thank for setting up the romance that sweeps the nation.

It speaks for the quality of the establishments visited that none of the salespeople were available to comment on their shopping trip. Thankfully fellow shoppers weren’t so tight-lipped.

“They went for the whole wardrobe,” one eyewitness confirms. “They practically bought everything, ranging from professional attire to cute and appropriate everyday wear and accessories for every occasion. Afterwards they mentioned that their next trip would be for shoes and then underwear. And they probably also went for facials and then mani pedi and the like.”

“They spend a lot of time on gowns and other related evening wear,” another fellow shopper dishes. “If it were my guess I would say that Darcy will soon be attending plenty of official functions as the Captain’s plus one.”

We for one cannot wait! We are so ready for photosets highlighting the Princess Diaries style transformation!

~*~

Darcy didn’t cross paths with the Captain much after his return from Europe. She was first too busy with finals and then with her additional workload from her new responsibilities with Maria and Pepper. She was kind of glad that she could avoid him as best as she could because whatever he had done in Europe, hadn’t improved his mood. He was even more acerbic than she had thought possible.

When Darcy went up to the SIESTA floor next she was surprised to actually find more people around. The bullpen and some of the single offices were filled with people. She went to Maria’s office, who looked up from her screen when Darcy knocked.

“You hired people,” Darcy remarked.

Maria looked outside for a second. “Analysts. Mostly old SHIELD personnel; not everybody was Hydra, you know.”

“Are there still fragmented SHIELD cells?”

Maria regarded her for a moment. “There are,” she then confirmed. “I’ve been liaising with them.”

“So this is where you disappear to. And why you get to escape family dinner with the Avengers.”

“Ah, but I hear these days it’s mostly you and the Captain fighting,” Maria pointed out

Darcy grimaced at that. “It’s not that any more. We mostly avoid each other these days.”

“You know you two cannot do that forever, right?” Maria asked. “You will be working together closely.”

“What do you mean?” Darcy eyed her curiously.

“Steve is bound to become their official leader. If he could just get his head around it.” When Maria saw Darcy’s expression she explained further: “Thor and Steve have the most experience in the kind of combat that needs the Avengers’ involvement. But Steve is the master tactician. He’s more level-headed than Thor and more experienced in leading a group of equals with very different skill sets. And the Captain is the only one that can hold that group of misfits together as was well-proven during the Chitauri attack. It’s going to be him running the team and Tony backing it financially and with whatever tech he deems necessary.”

“Hhmm,” Darcy just said. “If it really comes to that, I will be the utmost professional.”

“Hopefully,” Maria just commented, which made Darcy almost ask what she had heard about them, but Maria was already changing the topic: “But you did not come here to ask about the team and our hiring practices, did you?”

“No, I went out shopping with Pepper and Jane and it didn’t register afterwards otherwise I would have asked Pepper immediately but she’s out of the country so I’m turning to you. There’s a lot of merchandise available on the Avengers and I was wondering: Who owns the brand?”

“What do you mean?”

“It has to come from some place, right? Did SHIELD have anything to do with it?”

Maria thought for a moment. “Not as far as I am aware, no. Iron Man is probably owned by Stark Industries and the Avengers might be as well since it was Tony who coined the term, but I couldn’t tell you any specifics. If they are registered, you should probably talk with legal about this.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. I just wanted to make sure that there wasn’t a dedicated SHIELD department that signed off on really terrible Hulk plushies.”

Maria’s lips twitched. “No, there wasn’t. Well, have fun with your research.”

~*~

After his return from Bruges, Steve spent a lot of time in the labs with Tony as if his presence and willpower alone could make Jarvis find something related to Bucky. He was feeling aimless and without purpose. There had never been a phase in his life where he didn’t have anything to do, really. He had also lost his running and sparring partner because Sam had returned to his family and job obligations in DC and would not return for several weeks – emergency notwithstanding.

With his continued presence in the lab space he noticed that Darcy Lewis wasn’t around in the labs as much as he would have expected considering that she was their shared assistant, but he didn’t ask any further details because it would only lead to more good-natured, but very unwelcome, ribbing from Tony.

A few days before Christmas he walked into Tony whose nose was practically glued to his tablet. “Steve,” Tony said when he looked up, “just the man I was looking for! I’ve been tasked by Pepper to confirm that you are still helping out at the soup kitchen for Christmas?”

“Sure I am. What makes you think otherwise?”

“That you have been walking around looking like death warmed over these past days? Geez, we thought that you couldn’t get even more prickly, but apparently you can.”

“I am not!” Steve protested immediately.

“Yes you are, but we understand, you’ve hit a rough patch. We’ve all been there. Thankfully you are no longer taking it out on Darcy.”

“I’m not taking anything out on anybody,” Steve said defensively.

“Keep telling yourself that,” Tony said good-naturedly. “You, Captain Rogers, take yourself on meticulous guilt trips every single day. It’s like it’s your new favourite hobby or something.”

“Can we please change this conversation?” Steve asked unnerved while he followed Tony into his lab. “I am going, that’s what you wanted to know, right? Do you want me to tell Pepper?”

“Might as well,” Tony said with a throwaway gesture, “then she can also tell you the details about her new Avengers PR strategy.”

“Sorry?” Steve said. “There’s been news?”

“Did nobody tell you?” Tony asked back. “We hired Darcy while you were out of the country. She will take care of the political and public aspect surrounding us.”

“Oh!” Steve could barely contain his surprise. “So that’s why she’s no longer in the labs that much,” he said more to himself.

“Ah! So you did notice the absence of your favourite verbal sparring partner!”

“Isn’t she still… trying to finish her degree?” Steve said carefully. “Don’t you want somebody with more… experience?”

“Pepper and Maria decided to hire her anyway. So that there would be no chance of her getting away.”

“You are that convinced about her qualifications?”

Tony eyed him suspiciously for a moment. “Yes, we are. I mean, you were there, she held her own in some very interesting political debates with Captain America. I know you don’t like her, but she made good points. Obviously, we trust her already so that earns her some extra points. She’s pretty much unfazed in the presence of any superhero, which is a quality hard to come by these days. Also, we checked out her grades and her transcripts, she is good at what she does.”

“But will she be taken seriously, with her age and… you know,” he murmured.

“Everybody thinking that she got the job because she’s sleeping with you?” Tony provided.

“No!” Steve started protesting. “But kind of yes?”

“Well,” Tony said after careful consideration, “everybody has to prove themselves. And when Darcy is underestimated… that’s when she can hit them where it hurts!”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Steve just said.

“But,” Tony spoke up as if he had just remembered something, “speaking of the delectable Miss Lewis. Jarvis, can you find out about her student loans?”

“Of course, Sir.”

“What are you doing, Tony?” Steve asked.

“Helping Darcy start her job without any worries,” Tony said absentmindedly, while he squinted at the numbers that Jarvis had put on his screen. “Oh, it’s just a five figure sum. Jarvis, you know the drill, make them disappear.”

“Certainly, Sir.”

“Did you just-” Steve began but then stopped because he wasn’t sure what he wanted to object to. If Darcy Lewis had them all so wrapped around her little finger that they offered her a job despite her limited qualifications and convinced Tony to spend a five figure sum out of nowhere, then it was not his place to comment anymore. They had made their decision, so had he.

~*~

When Darcy returned to her parent’s house for Christmas, there was a gaggle of reporters waiting in front of her childhood home. Darcy made a great show that she had arrived alone and that the Captain was not hiding in the footwell of her car or something. Thankfully the Captain made a very welcome public appearance to volunteer at a soup kitchen in New York, which served well to illustrate that he would not be spending his Christmas with her and made a majority of the reporters disappear over night.

On the day after Christmas, Darcy woke at six in the morning. She lay in her bed, just taking in the sounds the house made but couldn’t go back to sleep. Finally she got up and padded into the kitchen to make some tea. Her parents were still asleep so she just stood by the kitchen window and watched the snow fall slowly, enjoying her tea.

She was about to refill her mug, when her mother entered the kitchen.

“You are up early,” she just remarked.

“Couldn’t sleep,” Darcy just answered with a shrug.

Her mother just hummed non-committally and began preparing breakfast, while Darcy continued her silent vigil at the kitchen window.

“You are very wistful,” her mother finally interrupted her musings. “You have been the whole time.”

“Yes, I guess I am.”

“What is it?”

“Oh, it’s nothing… and everything…”

“Boy trouble?”

Darcy thought for a moment and then turned around to face her mother. “That’s one way to put it.”

“Want to talk about it?” her mother asked quietly.

Darcy sighed and was silent for a moment, cradling her mug. “It’s Captain Rogers…” she then said.

“As in Captain America, the guy everybody thinks you are dating?” her mother clarified.

“Yeah… he’s really annoying the heck out of me.”

“Oh, okay. That’s… unexpected.”

“Yeah, I guess… You know that all the papers write is not true at all. We don’t have the romance of the century; there’s no undeniable spark between us; we are not planning our future together. It’s more the exact opposite, we fight all the time, we don’t have the same world view at all and sometimes he has opinions I want to punch him for.”

“Sometimes people just don’t fit,” her mother pointed out. “Maybe it’s the same with you and Captain America.”

“Maybe,” Darcy said slowly, “but then it makes things so petty and much more difficult.”

“What do you mean?”

“My job…” Darcy shrugged.

“It is with all the Avengers, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but I will probably have to work closely with him,” Darcy explained. “And I really like what I’m doing and what I’m supposed to do and it’s what I want to do, because it really will make a difference but I know it’s going to be an uphill battle with him.”

“Why’s that?”

“He’s just… there. And I’m not a confrontational person, but he just brings out the worst in me.”

“Well, obviously you spent a lot of time thinking about him.”

Darcy just raised an eyebrow at that. “Are you trying to explain this with the ‘he pulls your pigtails because he likes you but he’s a boy and doesn’t know how to express his feelings’ cliché? Because you taught me that it isn’t true, mom.”

“And that’s not what I meant. I don’t know him except from the papers, and you insist that it’s all not true.”

“I really don’t know what is true and what not. I know the stuff about me and him isn’t.”

“They make him appear very wholesome in his media portrayal,” her mother said. “Which really eases a lot of my worries about your reputation now that you are living in ‘Tony Stark’s tower of sin’.”

“You shouldn’t quote the National Enquirer, mom,” Darcy said exasperatedly.

“I was trying to be funny, daughter of mine,” her mother smiled. “But the thing is: Why should the media portrayal matter?”

“You are asking me this? I’m going to earn my money with media stuff.”

“Yes, but still. Obviously they make Captain America appear nice and perfect and completely wholesome, but I doubt that’s his real personality. Because, let’s face it: With all what he has done I’m pretty sure he has his secrets and likes to play his cards closely to his chest. He’s been burned before, you know.”

“That doesn’t excuse his behaviour,” Darcy pointed out.

“No, it doesn’t, but Darcy, should it maybe influence your decisions? And the preconceived notions you had about him? Also, why does the media portrayal still matter to you now that you know it’s all conjecture? At this point it’s all about how much power you give it, really. Yes, you have been forced into this position and it affects you in a way that you could never have foreseen, but making the press a major player is too easy now. Sure, your fates are irrevocably linked to each other and yes, you will probably always remain a footnote in his life story, but the question is how much power are you giving it and how much it will influence _your_ life story?”

~*~

Steve was sitting on one of the barstools in the kitchen in the common area when Darcy Lewis walked in. He looked up from his book and it took him a moment to register that it was really her, because he had never seen her wearing professional business attire including heels. Then he remembered that her new job alongside Pepper probably demanded an entirely new wardrobe, which was why she was now dressed that way.

She was startled for a moment when she saw him. “Captain,” she then just nodded, placed her laptop bag against the kitchen island and then went to the fridge.

“Miss Lewis,” he replied and went back to his book.

She apparently didn’t find what she was looking for in the fridge because she closed it with a huff and then began rummaging through the drawers sounding increasingly frustrated.

“Are you looking for something specific?” he finally asked when her slamming the last of the overhead drawers shut made him look up from his reading again.

“My tea. I have an office now, I can store it there, away from grabby scientist hands.”

“Oh, right, your own office. I guess I should congratulate you on your promotion?”

“Thanks.”

“Working alongside Pepper and Maria,” Steve continued, “putting your political science degree and your vast PR knowledge to work.”

She turned her head and eyed him curiously for a second and Steve asked himself if he had sounded too dismissive. “That’s the plan yes,” she just answered then.

“Well, I hope it’s what you want and like and that you’ll have fun.”

“Oh yeah, it’s going to be really _fun_ cleaning after your PR messes, Captain,” she said sarcastically. “And the political ones too.”

“Well, contrary to your prediction, my subpoena has not arrived yet,” he pointed out.

“That doesn’t mean that the public does not have a right to know, Captain,” she countered immediately. “Speaking of which: Anything you have to tell me about your impromptu trip to Europe that might come back to bite us later?”

“No,” Steve just bit back.

“Keep telling yourself that,” she muttered.

Steve closed his book with a snap and straightened his posture. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, I think I’ve told you plenty of times, Captain,” she turned around and casually leaned against the kitchen counter opposite him, “that you are not exactly what I’d call ‘open’.” She emphasized the last word with over the top air quotes.

He narrowed her eyes at her. “Just because you have everybody here at your beck and call, you don’t have to expect the same courtesy from me. Bruce, Clint, Tony, they might all play nice, but excuse me if I don’t bare my soul to you.”

“It’s not about baring your soul and voicing your inner workings, Captain – as _fascinating_ as they probably are,” she added snidely. “It’s me preparing you for the inevitable. Questions will get asked, not just by me but by everybody who has an interest in these things.”

“Their interest is misguided.” Steve scowled at her.

“No, their interest is human,” Darcy retorted immediately, straightening as well and squaring her shoulders. “Captain, you should get down from the high horse you are sitting on and face the reality. People are looking for guidance, people are looking for protection, people are looking for you to finally step up to your plate. But here you are, having a little pity party or whatever you do when you disappear into the night.”

“You have no right to know what I do when I ‘disappear into the night’,” Steve insisted, mirroring her air quotes. “It’s me doing stuff, on my own time.”

She tilted her head slightly and narrowed her eyes at him. “What about your past dealings then?” she then said without missing a beat. “You will be made accountable for those.”

“Isn’t that what you were hired for?” Steve said condescendingly. “And you were so eager to take over, too. But what have you actually achieved so far? Nothing. All you do is talk talk talk and no action.”

She rolled her eyes at that and then replied mockingly: “It’s called incremental action and subtlety, but that’s not something I’d expect somebody who struts around basically covered in the American flag to understand.”

“And once again you prove how little you actually know when you think that the uniform actually matters,” he said snidely, balling his hands into fists.

“No, Captain America, I am fully aware that I know _nothing_ about you,” she answered and ignored his glare entirely. “I know what the history books say about you and I realised early in our acquaintance that it’s not true. It’s a romanticized, fictionalized account. You are not what I–,” she corrected herself, “what _we_ expected you to be. The shame is that it doesn’t only reflect poorly on you but on your team as well. You are supposed to be the man of action, the tactical leader, the team leader, the responsible one, but instead you just stand by and do nothing, like you always do these days, in the political and the private.”

Steve stared at her disbelievingly for a second. “Is this still about the tabloid coverage?” he then asked exasperatedly, but she just pressed her lips together and didn’t answer. “Are you still resentful about that? May I remind you that none of this was actually my fault, except that I should have watched my steps better when we ran into each other at the Strand. But so should you. And may I also remind you that you insisted on the non-action? When I suggested doing something, _anything_ , when I found out it was you who shot me down; it was you insisting that holding still is the best action.”

“Yes, because out of the two of us I actually know what I was doing,” she argued, her voice rising.

Steve shook his head and huffed out a laugh. “You think, you have it all figured out, Miss Lewis. You might know how the media works and you’ve made valid points about political implications but you still fail to see the bigger picture: That we are all human underneath. You think you know me? Try again. Try reading something other than the history books and your political essays.”

She took a step forward, placed her hands on the kitchen island Steve was still sitting at and looked him straight into the eye. “Well,” she said, clearly furious, “I might have done that had you not been keeping me – and everybody else – at arm’s length the whole time.”

“I purposefully kept my distance in order to not fuel any more rumours,” Steve shot back.

“No, you kept your distance so you didn’t have rectify your faulty opinion of me and could be Judgy McJudgement from a distance without actually knowing anything,” she said, pointing her finger at him accusingly.

“Likewise, Miss Lewis,” Steve retorted. “You – along with everybody else – have these preconceived notions about me. Everybody knows about the man and the star spangled shield. You said so yourself, it’s a romanticized, fictionalized account. Let me tell you, Miss Lewis, you have _no_ idea about the human sacrifices involved.”

“How can I when nobody talks about these things?” She threw up her hands in frustration. “You want empathy and understanding for your actions? You better cough up some sort of information, Captain.”

“No, I just want to be left alone,” Steve said, getting up and gathering his things before things would become even more heated.

She watched his movements closely, her eyes narrowing at him. “This is never going to happen and you know it. And as I’ve said before: You are on a dangerous path, Captain. You still have time to change it.”

“I think you’ve made your point often enough,” Steve just said condescendingly.

“I think you don’t understand the gravity of the situation you are in,” she insisted.

“I think I understand just fine.”

“Really? Is that why you are once again actively avoiding the discussion?” she accused him.

“I’m not avoiding anything, Miss Lewis,” he said on his way to the door. “We are talking in circles, you want commitment and information I am not willing to give. There are certain things I can’t and won’t talk about.”

“Like what happened on the last helicarrier?” she called after him. Steve’s steps faltered and he turned around, facing her. She had her arms crossed, her hip leaning against the counter casually and she looked at him smugly, clearly proud of herself that she’d gotten a reaction out of him.

“Captain,” she continued her pestering, “who was your opponent on the last helicarrier? The one who nearly pummelled you to death? You had to spend several days in the hospital despite your accelerated healing – how is that possible? And who saved you from the Potomac to begin with? You would have sunk and drowned with those injuries.”

“That is none of your business,” he said forcefully, but she only raised an eyebrow at that, unimpressed.

“Well, I’m just preparing you for the inevitable. Those questions will get asked, soon. Not just by me but by everybody who has an interest in these things. You might want to rethink your policy of non-disclosure because it’s not only you who is going to be dragged down into the mud. It’s Bruce and Clint and Tony and Thor as well. The Black Widow already sacrificed her identity and the life she’d built. Is this really how _you_ want to continue?”

“Why do you even care?” Steve crossed the room in three long strides and came standing right in front of her.

The new angle visibly threw her for a second. “Because they are my friends!” she then replied.

“Oh, is that what it is?” Steve said, towering over her and forcing her to look up.

“Yes.” She jutted her chin and didn’t back down. “What else would it be?”

“Well, maybe you don’t want to give up your new-found amenities,” Steve hissed. “Because as confrontational as you are with me, the whole situation so far has worked out great for you, hasn’t it? I mean, you live in the tower, one of the most coveted spaces in the city, for free if I might add. Your best friend is just a few stories up. You made new friends, too. And they are powerful. You have Tony and Bruce practically wrapped around your little finger. Tony paid off all your student loans with a wave of his hand. You got a great job alongside Pepper Potts lined up even before you are even finished with school. A job people with more experience would be ready to kill for. Your career spiralled out of control thanks to your perceived connection to me. In the end you could almost be thankful for our happy little accident at the Strand and the impromptu photo taken at the charity function. You couldn’t have planned it better, could you?”

For a moment Darcy stared at him with her mouth open. Then her slap hit Steve out of nowhere and it was his turn to stare at her, with one hand on the cheek where the imprint of her fingers was already beginning to fade.

“You might as well have suggested that I’m sleeping my way up to the top and it couldn’t have been less insulting. Working well for me? Do you have any idea? I would gladly have gone without any of it. Let me spell out my privileges for you, Captain: I will forever be known as your former assumed girlfriend, jilted lover or whatever the press decides on in the end. The thing is: Each time you do something, people will be like: Wasn’t he with that brunette? What happened to her? You’ll never be out of the public eye and so neither will I. I can do whatever I like, I can become the foremost expert in political science, it’s still going to be the one of the first things that comes up when people type my name into Google. Some people will never take me seriously because of it, it could seriously jeopardise my future, too. My future children will probably ask me at some point if I really dated you back in the early 2000s and the most inquisitive people will always ask me how I liked ‘banging the super soldier’.”

“That’s not–” Steve began.

“I’m not done yet, Captain,” Darcy interrupted him immediately, her voice rising several octaves. “Because contrary to you I can and will put all my cards on the table. I have no private life left to protect. For your information: I didn’t want to move into the tower, I actually liked my anonymous little spot all for myself, but I couldn’t stay there due to security reasons. I’m being harassed on a regular basis, mostly by the press and paparazzi, but also by complete strangers in the street who apparently hate me for ‘defiling a national icon’.

“And while for you the tower maybe has this whole superhero frat house vibe going on, for me it’s one of the loneliest places on earth. Yes, I made friends with Tony and Bruce and Clint, but that’s because they are the only people I can talk to without having to assume that they have ulterior motives. Also, because they are nice and have actually taken time to get to know me instead of assuming things.”

She had clearly talked herself into a rage now, her cheeks were flushed, her nostrils flaring and her blue eyes flashing furiously. She stabbed her right index finger at him accusingly to emphasize her words and Steve just listened helplessly.

“As regards my job,” she continued. “Yes, I was lucky to have met Pepper and for her to see my potential, but by now I’m also uniquely qualified for it. There aren’t so many fake celebrity girlfriends who have the trust of most of the Avengers and knowledge about the murky political waters your little SHIELDRA stunt got your superhero boy band into.”

Darcy took a deep breath to steady her rapid breathing and then a step backwards. She tilted her head to one side and looked at him disbelievingly. “I have grown kind of used to the press implying I have ulterior motives in this whole convoluted relationship, but… I never expected it from you, despite our differences,” she stated in a voice full of disappointment. “I mean, we fight a lot and butt heads and this time it’s personal, but Captain America judging me so harshly? And in such a manner, too? That’s actually a disgrace for somebody carrying the star spangled shield.”

He felt like she had slapped him a second time and stared at her, not knowing what to say. Meanwhile she looked up at him, breathing heavily as if she’d just run a marathon and was clearly expecting a nasty rejoinder from his side.

“I didn’t mean–” Steve then started but wasn’t even sure what he wanted to say.

“No Captain,” she said quietly and coldly, “you don’t get to take it back. You meant everything exactly the way you said it. So did I, too. I guess this has been simmering below the surface quite some time and now everything has boiled over. We’ve said everything we needed to say to each other, haven’t we?”

With that she gathered her things and slipped out of the room before Steve had the opportunity to say anything further.


	10. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally unpacked [the last of my boxes](http://amerna.tumblr.com/post/128597633996/all-moved-in) today! I'm celebrating with posting the latest chapter before I fall into my bed.
> 
> This is basically a filler, where I have to get people where they are supposed to be. I promise there's more fallout from the... thing that happened coming in the next two chapters (Chapter 10: Darcy, Chapter 11: Steve).
> 
> Also, come talk to me on tumblr. [This is my story tag](http://amerna.tumblr.com/tagged/tramllhbge), which mostly includes me rambling and cut scenes where Clint is an annoying little shit ;-)

### Chapter 9

Steve stood in the middle of the room where Darcy Lewis had left him entirely flabbergasted. He couldn’t believe what had just happened. He shook his head as if he wanted to get rid of the memory, but it remained with him.

It had felt like a car accident – short, brutal and ugly. She had been right, too. They had been heading towards this for quite some time and now it had blown over. He slowly gathered his things while still mulling over what they had said to each other exactly. He felt that Darcy Lewis had just given him the scolding of his life.

He took the stairs down to his apartment, replaying their entire conversation in his head. It had played out like any of their prior confrontations where they had disagreed but still remained calm and controlled. Only this time it had escalated further – because she had mentioned Bucky. Or not Bucky per se because she didn’t know the particulars but she had hit very close to home when she had alluded to the day he had once again failed to save his best friend.

He stood in front of the door to his apartment and looked over his shoulder to the other door on his floor that led to her apartment. He couldn’t know if she was inside her quarters or not and he would never knock on her door and risk another confrontation. They had both made their points, she better than him.

He entered his apartment realising that the ugliness during their last confrontation had been mostly his fault. That’s when the sinking feeling really set in: Embarrassment. He had hilariously, hopelessly put his foot in his mouth. He couldn’t remember the last time he had messed up this badly. Or maybe he could. The last time he had misjudged a situation with a woman that severely the lady in question had later shot at his brand new shield. He could be glad that Darcy Lewis had just slapped him and given him the dressing down of his lifetime.

He tried to think of a way to salvage the situation but he came up empty. She probably never wanted to talk to or see him again and neither did he. Their future interactions now had the potential for even more clashing of wills and further ugliness. If worse came to worse it would affect their common friends as well. At this point distance was probably the best option.

With that decision in mind he concluded that it was best for him to spend some time in DC away from the tower until everything had cooled down. He could crash with Sam for a while. There wasn’t much that kept him at the tower to begin with except being close to his teammates and having an infrastructure that supported his so far ill-fated attempt to locate Bucky. He could live without Tony, Bruce and Clint’s moral support for a while and leave the playing field to Darcy and he could also access the infrastructure Tony had built remotely from DC.

He tried to call Sam, but he wasn’t answering his phone so Steve left a message asking him to call him back. He decided that to travel to DC quickly and without much fuss, borrowing a car out of the Stark car pool was probably his best option. He didn’t feel like talking to Tony or Pepper (or anybody else at this moment) because they would undoubtedly question his motives for leaving so abruptly so he just organized it with Jarvis’ help and left a message stating that he had decided for an impromptu change of scenery and would stay with Sam indefinitely.

Sam called him back when Steve was in the car already half way to Washington. Steve explained briefly that he needed to crash with him for a few weeks and would explain everything once he’d arrived at the house. Steve could tell that Sam was surprised but restrained himself not to ask any further questions while Steve was still en route.

He couldn’t contain his surprise though as soon as Steve had set foot into his house.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Sam asked immediately after he had let Steve in.

“What do you mean?”

“Who you are fleeing from? The last time you appeared at my doorstep out of nowhere you had just been branded a traitor, were an international fugitive and half of America’s security apparatus was out to kill you.”

“Hey, this time I called first!” Steve protested.

“From the car, on your way here. Not the same.”

“I think I’m improving!” Steve tried to deflect.

“Don’t try to change the subject,” Sam said. “You know that I will call the others if you don’t tell me on your own, right? Is this about Darcy?”

Steve’s head wheeled around. “How would you know? Has somebody told you anything?”

Sam eyed him curiously for a moment. “Why so defensive, Rogers? No, nobody told me anything. I have two good eyes, you know. I watched you two interact, it was bound to be a big drama, so I figured this was the only thing to drive you out of town.”

“I kind of made a mess,” Steve grimaced and sat down on Sam’s couch heavily.

“No surprise there.”

“Can we please skip this? I don’t really feel like having another dressing-down. Darcy Lewis already gave me the scolding of my life just a few hours ago.”

Sam’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “She did?”

“Yeah, and I’d like to mull about it alone for a bit.”

“Well, okay then… anytime you want to talk about it any further, let me know.”

“Yeah, I don’t think that it’s going to happen. Any story about Darcy Lewis and me is pretty much over.”

~*~

Darcy didn’t really know how she got through the rest of the day. She marched to her office on autopilot and buried herself under her work, making it back to her apartment late at night, tired and exhausted.

Still, she slept terribly because alone in her bed her mind wouldn’t shut up and kept replaying every single scene of their interaction. Their confrontation had gotten out of control the moment she had mentioned the helicarrier and the Captain’s actions in DC. Whatever it was, something had clearly set off the Captain in a way that had made him lash out more than normal. She realised with brutal clarity, too, that she had antagonized him more than usual, but that didn’t excuse his hurtful accusations and his total misunderstanding of her situation and her character. In the end she didn’t feel sorry for her words, but she regretted slapping him.

In the morning she realised that the Captain was living on the other side of the hallway and that it was probably best to avoid him at all cost for a few days, weeks probably, maybe months or even years. She opened her door to peek into the hallway and thankfully there was no sign of him. That didn’t mean though that he couldn’t come around the corner any moment – and with her luck he definitely would. She closed the door again and leaned against it heavily. How was she supposed to evade him when she basically lived at his doorstep and he would be in the common areas of the tower one way or another?

She closed her eyes and thought for a moment. That’s when she realised that she had Jarvis at her disposal.

“Jarvis?” she whispered guiltily, because asking the AI for the whereabouts of her next-door neighbour felt a bit stalkerish and creepy.

“Yes, Miss Lewis?” the AI answered immediately.

“Is Captain Rogers around?”

“The Captain left yesterday evening to stay in Washington, DC, for an undetermined amount of time, Miss Lewis.”

Darcy let out the breath she hadn’t known she was holding. And then she realised that their argument had driven him out of town. There was no way that he had a scheduled trip to DC right that day. He had fled from her, there was no other way to describe it.

She went to search for Jane around lunchtime to ask how some of the interviews for her potential successor had gone and if she needed any help in the labs. She found her deep in discussion with Tony and Bruce.

They all looked up when Darcy entered and they made some weird eyebrow dance at each other, which should have been Darcy’s first clue that something was definitely up. In the end Jane sighed deeply and went to stand right in front of her.

“Sit, Darcy,” Jane commanded, making Darcy sit down at her workstation.

“What’s up?” Darcy looked up at Jane and then to Tony and Bruce who hadn’t moved from their spot at the end of the labs but regarded them curiously. “Anything happened?”

“What’s going on with you and Steve?” Jane then demanded without preamble.

The very straightforward question took Darcy by surprise. “Nothing, nothing, really nothing!” she denied immediately. “Nothing to say, nothing to report, really nothing going on.”

“Right, because saying ‘nothing’ six times is really going to convince me that _nothing_ has in fact happened. Spill, Lewis.” Jane stood in front of her, hands crossed in front of her chest and her left foot tapping impatiently.

Darcy sagged into her swivel chair and took a deep breath. “We might have gotten into a huge fight yesterday.”

“And? You guys basically fight each time you are in a room together. The boys and I,” Jane used her thumb to point at Bruce and Tony standing behind her, “we were still on the fence if it’s really fighting or weirdly repressed flirting. That shouldn’t drive him out of town to avoid you.”

“I might have said not so nice things to him?” Darcy confessed further.

Jane didn’t look satisfied with that explanation either. “Also nothing new to us.”

“And I also slapped him across the face and called him a disgrace to the shield.”

“Darcy!” Jane sounded both surprised and scandalized.

Darcy straightened up and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Sorry! But he deserved it!”

“What did he do?”

“He accused me of profiteering way too much from our assumed relationship. So I slapped him and set the record straight.”

Jane looked at her confusedly, so Darcy elaborated. “He said that I got to live in the tower for free, got a great job alongside Pepper out of it despite lacking the experience and such. He had no idea how much my life had changed for the worse because of that one slip at the Strand months ago and how much I would suffer from our fake relationship in the future so I told him and in passing also mentioned how much of a disappointment he was after all the stories I’ve heard about him in high school and college.”

“Darcy,” Jane admonished quietly.

“What?” Darcy said defensively. “It’s not my fault. I might have antagonized him a little bit but then: He misjudged me and my situation all by himself.”

Jane sighed deeply. “And then what?” she asked.

“Nothing. I stormed out of the room, went back to work and this morning I found out that he left town already. It’s all over. Water under the bridge and all.” Darcy shrugged and tried to appear casual.

“How do you know that Steve left?” Jane asked.

“Did he leave you an elaborately worded handwritten letter?” Tony asked excitedly.

“No,” Darcy looked at Tony confusedly for a second. “I asked Jarvis.”

“Oh, stalking Steve via Jarvis,” Tony said approvingly. “Smart move.”

“Maybe I should have started that earlier, then I might not have actually come this far.”

“I don’t think so,” Bruce chimed in. “You two opinionated boneheads just naturally gravitated towards each other.”

~*~

Steve wasn’t surprised that Tony called him up on his tablet the next day. He knew that his teammates loved Darcy and that they had probably gotten the whole story from her (and/or Jarvis), when they noticed that something wasn’t quite right. Darcy had probably been affected as well and behaved uncharacteristically and he’d known that his disappearance into the night would rouse suspicions.

He was briefly tempted to ignore the call and the scolding that would undoubtedly follow for a few days, but then realized that he couldn’t avoid it. He would have to face them at some point and it was probably better to rip off the band-aid immediately. So he sighed deeply and accepted the call.

“Steve,” Tony said reproachfully into the camera without any greeting. Behind him Bruce looked at him accusingly.

“I know,” Steve just said.

“How could you?!” Tony continued his accusation.

“I know.”

“What you said to Darcy…” Bruce said while shaking his head disappointedly.

“I know.”

“Don’t get sassy, Rogers,” Tony said accusatory. “That’s nothing to make fun of.”

“I’m not doing that!” Steve defended himself. “I’m fully aware that I made a mistake.”

“Bet your ass you did,” Tony threw in.

“But there’s nothing I can do to change it,” Steve continued. “You don’t cry over spilt milk and all.”

“Well, I hope you went into hiding in DC to think about what you did,” Bruce said with a decisive nod.

“Most importantly what kind of an asshole you were to Darcy,” Tony added. “Do we need to tell you how far off the mark you were with your accusations?”

“I think I got it,” Steve said surly.

“You sure?” Tony asked, squinting at him. “I have a whole argument ready about the 24-hour news cycle and celebrity culture in general. And what they did to Darcy specifically, as well. Just say the word and I’ll tell you, like that one time we had to discuss restraining orders.”

Steve closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know I’ve made a mess.”

Tony and Bruce were unexpectedly silent for a moment on the other end, leading Steve to look up at the screen again.

“Well, we all knew that it was just a matter of time,” Bruce then said quietly, to which Tony nodded sagely. “And with the two of you it was either amazing sex or huge fight potentially including physical violence.”

Steve just stared at him, mouth hanging open.

“We all would have preferred the first,” Bruce continued. “But then we all know that in regards to the fairer sex you have the emotional range of a 15-year old.”

Steve shook his head for a moment, trying to regain his wits. “Right,” he then just said.

“Think about it,” Tony advised, but Steve just frowned at him.

“Oh and pray that nobody tells Thor anything about this, ever,” Bruce added as an afterthought, “once he returns. He might have this whole matter-of-fact ‘whatever happens, happens’ stance and ‘I am not interfering’ but if you are disrespectful to Darcy, he might go for the Asgardian equivalent of ‘pistols at dawn’. And he’s a Norse god, fully capable of beating you to a pulp.”

“I don’t think-” Steve began.

“Doesn’t matter,” Tony interrupted him. “Just reflect what you did, because you are in the doghouse now. So, a word of advice: Darcy is here to stay, you cannot avoid her forever, so get your life in order and your head out of your ass, Steve.”

~*~

 

##### My Superhero Valentine

So that all-important romantic holiday is coming up and apart from us mere mortals our favourite star spangled superhero also has to prepare for his first Valentine’s Day with ordinary lady love Darcy.

“Steve is definitely trying to make their first Valentine’s Day together memorable,” a friend of the couple dishes. “But so far he’s despairing in the planning stages.”

So our star spangled man is so far without a plan? Here are a few suggestions and some helpful dos and don’ts:

 

_**Do**  
_ Dinner and a show

We know it’s a classic, but why not spice it up a little? There’s this tiny bistro three hours from Manhattan with a supposedly 10-year waiting list. Maybe the Captain could use his reputation and Tony Stark’s notoriously deep pockets to jump ahead a little?

As regards the show, might we suggest something more exclusive: We are pretty sure that places like the MoMa or the Museum of Natural History are more than willing to close an hour early to accommodate a private tour for the Nation’s very first superhero and his lady love.

 

**_Don’t  
_ ** Lingerie

It’s tacky and has the potential to fail spectacularly, especially considering that Darcy’s buxom physique is a challenge on its own. And we shudder at the thought of the Captain giving Darcy the brand new Black Widow lingerie that Agent Provocateur recently introduced.

 

**_Do  
_ ** Consider her background

Darcy works with an astrophysicist. Maybe the Captain can have a star named after her.

 

**_Don’t  
_ ** An animal

We know, puppies and kittens are cute and adorable but they come with a lot of responsibility, which can then lead to an impromptu discussion where the relationship is headed in the long term (which you really don’t want to do on Valentine’s Day). In this case the Captain should also consider the external circumstances: Both he and Darcy have challenging schedules at the moment that do not leave a lot of space for one on one time. You really don’t want to add an infant animal to the mix, which leads to dividing your time even further.

 

_**Do**  
_ Whisk her away for a romantic getaway

Faced with a record winter here in NYC and everywhere else on the East Coast we would probably all love being taken to a tropical island for a long weekend or so. But in the Captain’s case we would actually suggest something a little more exotic: Get Thor to take you two lovebirds to another realm for a weekend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony mentioning a long, elaborately worded handwritten letter is a reference to Jane Austen's _Pride and Prejudice_ , where the protagonist (Mr. Darcy - yes, I know, Darcy does too ;-)) leaves such a letter to the heroine of that book, Elizabeth Bennet, to explain his actions (after they got into a major argument where Elizabeth basically ate him alive). I tried to make this more Jane Austen like, but it wouldn't really make sense. Also, for the record, I feel that Steve has crappy handwriting ;-)


	11. Chapter 10

### Chapter 10

 

**Grown man and a baby**

Stop what you are doing, Ladies! We bring you a picture of Captain America with a baby! And if that doesn't make your heart melt and your ovaries start a rain dance, you are lying. The Captain was out and about in DC (again sans ordinary lady love Darcy, with whom we have yet to see him in the new year) and did well to manifest his reputation of all American wholesomeness, when he helped a young mother and entertained her 8 month old, while she… had to do… something. We don’t really care about the background! It’s Captain America being totally adorable with a baby! You are allowed to swoon now. Trust us, we certainly did.

~*~

The universe was conspiring against her, Darcy decided. To show her, how great a guy Captain America was and to have her question her initial impression of Steven Rogers once again. That was, the universe and her fellow residents at the tower. Now that he was no longer living in New York she heard more about him than ever before.

Firstly he was mentioned in the papers and on social media more often than not – mostly with a dig at her because she wasn’t at his side. She got a daily update from Jarvis about both their usual media mentions and real time updates if a story continued to grow during the day or if there was a request for comment from outside parties.

Two weeks after their confrontation, a few days after school had started once again, she was suddenly bombarded by requests to comment on an appearance he had put in at a DC research hospital. Jarvis quickly aggregated the social media mentions and attendees’ accounts for Darcy, which she was still scrolling through while waiting for Jane to be ready for their lunch date.

Apparently he had visited a children’s hospital and the internet was now flooded with pictures and videos of him being “the adorbs”, “amazing”, “fantastic” and other superlatives with little children. There were plenty of marriage proposals as well. She was still trying to figure out what the appropriate reaction was to all of it, when Jane snuck up on her.

“Why are you looking at videos and pictures where Steve is totally adorable with little children?” Jane had come looking over her shoulder.

Darcy jumped a little. “Because that’s my job now,” she explained. “The coverage came online and we were asked for a comment. I have no idea how to deal with this.”

“Professionally or in regards to your… misunderstanding with and about Steve?” Jane asked knowingly.

“Both I guess,” Darcy replied honestly after a moment of consideration.

“Well, you should ask Pepper about it,” Jane suggested. “For the professional part, she might know more about his involvement in charity. For the personal part: I know you dislike him on principle, but look at it from the outside perspective: An intelligent, sensitive hunk that is super adorable with children. If that doesn’t make your ovaries melt a little, you are lying.”

Darcy looked at her with raised eyebrows.

“I’m happy with Thor, Darcy, but I am not blind.”

~*~

 

**The Captain visits hospital! Proves he will make a great dad someday**

So that picture of Captain America with a baby from last week turned you into a gigantic puddle of mush? Better prepare yourself. The Captain remains active in his quest to ruin us for all other men when he visited the St. Vincent Children’s Research Hospital last week. In his true low-key fashion the visit was not publicised and was only revealed later when families and staff shared their experience on social media (not that we blame them).

You can see the full coverage (including a very young girl in a ladybug onesie attack-hugging his legs and not wanting to let go) below. We should probably warn you, but instead there’s just this one observation: The Captain obviously loves children.

We dare you to take a peek.

~*~

Thankfully she got Pepper, who was on a business trip to Munich, on the phone two hours later and described the situation.

“Oh, right,” Pepper just said, “I guess my lecture about the charity circle and my warning that I will be feeding you to the society vultures comes earlier than expected.”

“What do you mean?” Darcy asked.

“Most of the Avengers are very active supporters for various charities. It’s part of the public image and Tony and I agreed that it will therefore pertain to your work, too. I’ll talk to you in detail when I return, get you in touch with the right people and I’ll also take you to some charity functions starting February so that you can get a feel for it.”

“Okay,” Darcy just said.

“Anyway,” Pepper continued, “to give you a general overview: There’s the Stark Foundation, which you already know about from their gala last October. Tony is heavily invested in it, so if you have any questions on that, you can ask him any time. Their biggest event by far is the annual Battle of New York fundraiser in June. But Bruce and Steve champion various other good causes, I’ll email you the details. Steve is – obviously – the most visible one. Nevertheless he mostly tries to be very low-key about this. He doesn’t publicise his appearances, he attends some of the major charity galas, but he doesn’t enjoy them and tries to contribute in other ways. What was the name of the hospital again?”

“St. Vincent Children’s Research Hospital,” Darcy provided and then heard keystrokes in the background.

“Yes, they are a beneficiary from funds from the Stark Industries Foundation, the medical branch,” Pepper said. “They were added and reviewed for eligibility as per Steve’s request. How he became involved with them, I don’t know exactly, but it was shortly after SHIELD had him relocated to DC two years ago. I’ll send you those details as well.”

“Okay,” Darcy said slowly. “Then I’ll just tell people that. That will be okay, right?”

~*~

**Young patients get visit from very own superhero  
** By Tory Cho | 106 comments

It must have been a day to remember at St. Vincent Children’s Research Hospital last week when Captain America stopped by for a surprise visit to some of his youngest fans and provide a distraction from their daily treatment routine. The charity provides free of charge treatments for children with serious conditions such as orthopaedic conditions, spinal cord injuries and respiratory ailments. A research arm that was established in 1977 is also dedicated to improve treatment effectiveness and raise the survival rate for many diseases and injuries.

As you can see from the pictures below most of the children were thrilled to meet the First Avenger in person. That is all of the children apart from those that were overwhelmed by the larger than life superhero at first. Said superhero, it turns out, is amazing with children, because he won over even the most timid of the kids with his trademark charm and boyish smile.

The Captain brought gifts, signed autographs and posed for pictures with children, their families and staff alike. He also started a pillow fight and was tied to a chair at some point.

Official Avengers sources were at first not available for comment. But later it was confirmed that the Captain became involved with the charity upon his relocation to DC two years ago but has been keeping a low profile until now. The pictures and videos are now surfacing on the social media accounts of family and friends of the children he visited. Also provided was a link to the charity, which is – thanks to the Captain’s explicit involvement – a beneficiary of funds from the Stark Industries Foundation.

~*~

Darcy would have been quite happy to not think about Steve Rogers any further, at least for quite some time. She knew how ironic it sounded since she had accused him of actively avoiding any unpleasant situation during their last confrontation and even before that, but she would have been quite happy to wallow in the blissful ignorance of her own preconceptions for a bit.

The problem was: As much as he had been wrong about her and her motives, his accusation that she had misjudged him terribly still stung, basically forcing her to re-visit her initial impression of him.

Darcy had always been proud of her ability to read and judge people correctly. She was a people person and she was aware of people’s behaviour and failings. She knew how people ticked. That’s what had made her go into political science to begin with and what was now the basis for her career with the Avengers.

So when had her impression of Captain Rogers become so skewed? Had she really misjudged him so badly at first and then just continued from there? When she looked at it objectively, she knew that you didn’t become a leader of men while being an asshole such as she had condemned him to be. Tony, Bruce, Clint, Thor – they all trusted him explicitly. He was their leader in all but name. Pepper and Maria treated and spoke of him with the utmost respect and in Pepper’s case warmth and affection. That had to account for something. Maybe she should have given him the benefit of a doubt and re-evaluated her opinion.

Her fellow inhabitants at the tower certainly seemed to think that way as well. They never spoke openly about him in her presence and if she happened upon a conversation they quickly changed the topic. They never actively tried to change her mind about him or tried to push her opinion into a certain direction, but Darcy knew that the biographies and old articles about Steven Rogers that kept appearing right in front of her nose with growing frequency were no accident. It became increasingly difficult to ignore them, too. One morning Time Magazine with the Captain America cover story titled “The Hero who Sacrificed Everything” appeared on her desk and was taunting her more than anything. Academically she knew that the in-depth character portrait of the First Avenger had been a much-lauded piece, which had won the author several awards in its year of release, but she had never had a chance to read it. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to read it, either, because she was almost 100% certain that it wouldn’t fit into the narrative she and the rest of the public had conjured over the last 70 years.

So Thor’s arrival after his extended stay in Asgard and some other realms proved to be a very welcome distraction from her own personal drama. She hadn’t counted on Thor being very perceptive.

“Hello Darcy, am I disturbing you?” Thor had appeared at her favourite hiding spot, the winter garden, during her lunch break a few days after his return.

Darcy smiled up at him, closed the textbook she had been reading and gathered up her stuff from the bench for him to sit. “You are, but not every disturbance is unwelcome. Come on, sit, we haven’t had a chance to talk yet.”

“We have not,” Thor agreed. “You have certainly been very busy.”

“I have been. You probably heard about my new job and responsibilities?” Darcy asked.

“I have, from Pepper. I think congratulations are in order. I am very proud.” Thor smiled at her affectionately.

“Thanks.”

“So, how’s stuff been in Asgard and beyond?”

“Difficult but not insurmountable,” Thor said. “And I daresay it will not be my last extended visit for this year. I will probably need to return again, soon.”

“Aw, that’s too bad. We like having you here, big guy.” Darcy punched his shoulder playfully.

“And I like being here, but I have other responsibilities as well.”

“Yeah, I know,” Darcy just said.

They sat next to each other in silence for a moment until Thor spoke up again. “Are you doing well, Darcy?” he asked carefully. “You seem… preoccupied.”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Darcy said with a throwaway gesture.

“It surely is something if it occupies your thoughts a lot.”

Darcy looked at him suspiciously. “Have the others put you up to this?” she asked, which made Thor look at her quizzically.

“No, they have not. Why would they do that?” he asked, to which Darcy didn’t answer.

“But your reaction just confirms that there is something going on,” Thor continued carefully. “What is it, little lightning sister? Is it your education? Have you taken on more than you can carry?”

At this Darcy looked up at him and shook her head emphatically. “No! Definitely not! Yes, it’s exhausting at times, but ultimately it’s going to be worth it. I can feel it. It’s the stuff I’m really good at. And now I am working with Pepper and she’s teaching me a lot, too, and I really like it.”

“Affairs of the heart then?” Thor continued asking. “What happened to that nice gentleman who helped out in London? Ian?”

“That is long over,” she simply said. “But I don’t mourn that either. It feels like ages ago, too. It was a very adult ‘it won’t work out’ conversation we had and we both decided to end things. It was never love to begin with. I don’t even know if it was infatuation, he was just… there. It was nice for a while.”

“Hhm,” Thor just hummed. “Is anybody at the tower giving you trouble then?”

Darcy tensed at this because it definitely hit a nerve and Thor probably noticed her reaction, too. He didn’t immediately question her though.

“You can always tell me, as you know,” he simply offered. “I know I might not be the perfect person and sometimes you want other people to talk to, like Jane, but I try to be an impartial observer as much as possible.”

They were silent again, while Darcy tried to get her thoughts into order.

“Nobody is giving me any trouble anymore,” she began finally, “but your friend, Captain Rogers- Steven, I think, no, I _know_ ,” she corrected herself, “I’m the reason he skipped town.”

“Ah!” Thor had apparently just waited for Darcy to figure out what she was ready to tell him, “I already suspected that there might be something going on between you and the good Captain that people were desperately trying to hide from me. Do you want to tell me the whole story?”

And so she did, from the beginning with the accidental meeting at the bookstore, the whole tabloid angle, to where they had last seen each other during their final confrontation a few days ago. It was actually really nice to get the whole story off her chest. Thor was a good listener, too. He barely interrupted her, just a few times for her to clarify some Midgardian terms or customs he didn’t understand, but other than that he just listened patiently and didn’t betray any of his own thoughts.

They were silent for a while after Darcy had finished her story.

“So now you are here, all by yourself, mulling over it?” Thor then asked. ”Do you feel guilty about it?”

“No… I don’t know. I feel guilty about slapping him… you know, the physical violence part, but I still think he deserved it. Mostly I’m trying to figure out why he managed to needle me so thoroughly. I’m not a violent person, I’m a very calm, circumspect person, I’d say, but my whole interaction with Captain Rogers was one heated meeting after another.”

“So you are trying to sort out your feelings?”

“That sounds like a cheesy romance novel, but yes?”

“And his, too?” Thor looked at her earnestly. When Darcy looked at him frowning, he explained: “There are always two people in a relationship, Darcy. It is called an interaction for a reason. You both acted and reacted. And you yourself ended up like this and he most likely ended up in Washington in a similar situation.”

“I cannot even begin to fathom his feelings or reaction, I don’t know him well enough for that.”

“And whose fault is it?” Thor pointed out.

Darcy sighed deeply. “Both of ours,” she then admitted.

“There you go. You have taken both yours and his perspective into account.”

“The thing is…” Darcy tried to explain after a few more moments of silence, “it was and still is really difficult to see only our two perspectives, with the added pressure from the media and the people around us. It’s like… the whole tabloid coverage and related news coverage was always dangling above our heads.”

“Did you want to dislike him on principle because everybody kept speculating about what a perfect couple you were? And you were desperately trying to prove the papers and stories wrong? You so desperately wanted somebody to state ‘we are not a couple’ that you became the living embodiment of such a statement and closed all possibilities for a friendship directly? You never wanted to get to know him?”

“What? No!” Darcy exclaimed.

“Are you sure?”

She hesitated for a few seconds. “I might have tried to keep my distance a bit, at first,” she then confessed, “to… you know, not feed the rumour mill. For a while we were the perfect example for cold indifference. But then we kept being thrust into each other’s company and kept riling each other up. And he was just so mean to me and so disappointing, not at all what I expected him to be, so I might have antagonized him and played the devil’s advocate more often than not.”

“So you punished him for not being the man you thought him to be?”

“I don’t know,” Darcy said exasperatedly. “He’s just so difficult to read, really, now that I think about it. I thought I had him figured out but then he accused me upfront of misjudging him really badly and maybe I did? I don’t know.” Darcy sighed deeply. “It’s so difficult to see him, really. Because it’s Captain America, everybody has an opinion about him, for better or for worse.”

“Darcy, what do you know about Steven Rogers?” Thor asked quietly.

Darcy raised an eyebrow at Thor at that surprising question, but then answered anyway. “You know, the usual stuff,” she said with a shrug. “America’s first superhero, World War Two hero, lost in ice for almost 70 years, re-discovered a little more than two years ago, Avenger, used to work as a covert operative for SHIELD until he took it down himself…” she hesitated, when she saw Thor look down at her knowingly. “What?” she sounded more abrasive than she had intended but that didn’t faze Thor one bit.

“You’ve been telling the story of Captain America, but not of Steven Rogers,” he pointed out. When Darcy just looked at him confusedly, he continued: “There is a difference between Steven Rogers, the person, and Captain America, his world saviour persona. Just like with Tony Stark and Iron Man, or with Bruce Banner and the Hulk. But with Steven it is more difficult to discern, because both his personas are human and essentially just divided by a military uniform and a shield.”

“I don’t get it.”

Thor sat back and thought for a moment. “When I first met the _Captain_ ,” he emphasized the last word, “he had barely arrived in this brave new world – same as me, I think, but in a different way. They had just found him a week before, I was told later and then put him in a uniform. Obviously I didn’t suspect any of that at that time. The man I met first? He was commanding, he was in full control, he was a soldier without equal here in Midgard, a man I was proud to call my brother in arms. Captain America,” he stated and Darcy couldn’t help but nod. “It was only until after the battle that I met _Steven Rogers_. As I said, he had just arrived in the here and there like me, but then: I could always return to Asgard, however, all the roads back were closed to Steven, they still are. And this is just one example of the many that divide Captain America from Steven Rogers. Because Captain America knows no problems, he solves them. You should not expect a young man, who – for all intents and purposes – has lost everything to behave every minute like the man who faced the Chitauri without batting an eye. He has his great share of difficulties, which we tend to forget because we only see the uniform and the brightly coloured shield. But Steven Rogers, he is just a man. A worthy man for sure, Captain America at heart and with his principles, but he is as fallible as the best of us. And while most people see the hero in him, we should never forget his sacrifices and mistakes.”

Darcy stared at Thor for a moment, mouth open. “So you are saying that a lot of it is my fault? That because of his tragic past I should have cut him some slack? Shouldn’t have been so hard on him?” she clarified, when Thor obviously didn’t get the expression. “I should have discerned the man from the shield?

“Oh no, that was not my intention,” Thor objected immediately, shaking his head. “No, I did not mean to insinuate that. It is nobody’s fault. Or maybe both your fault, if you want to place some blame. How could you have known? Because Steven… I think he hides behind the persona, too. So if he did not want to show you the real Steven Rogers, he would not do it.” Thor looked thoughtful for a moment, then continued: “Also, it works the other way around as well. Steven probably never met the real Darcy Lewis either. He had a picture of you in his head, which he did not seek to rectify. Hence his very hurtful accusations during your last confrontation. Essentially you both interacted with the person you thought the other person was. So it is hardly surprising that it did go wrong rather spectacularly.”

Again they were silent for a while, while Darcy mulled over Thor’s analysis. He had a point, she had to admit. She had never thought about it that way, but what did she really know about Steven Rogers? Most of her knowledge about him came from what she had learned at school and university and what she had read in the current news coverage about him. She had never assumed that there was a man, a human, behind the shield, whose profile might not fit into the decades of mythology and story telling about Captain America.

She had assumed that he was aloof and standoffish, because they hadn’t really tried to get to know each other. He also hadn’t compared well with his other friends and teammates, with whom she had made friends just fine. But then Tony, Clint and Bruce and even Sam were easy to get to know and didn’t come with the baggage of the whole Captain America myth every child in America grew up with. She had initially compared Steven Rogers to the myth and found him wanting and had just continued from there.

“That is a very good point,” Darcy finally conceded out loud.

Thor smiled broadly. “Thank you.”

“It basically is a story about miscommunication and failed first impressions.”

“That is probably the most apt description, yes. You never actively sought each other out after fates conspired against you so zealously and then the fates did the rest.”

“You summarized the story of us two dumbasses very poetically,” Darcy smiled.

“A smile,” Thor just commented, “that is what I was aiming for.”

“A self-deprecating smile, because the more I think about the whole situation, the more I hope I never have to meet him again. I know it’s childish, but still...”

“It is also not very likely,” Thor pointed out in brutal honesty. “You cannot avoid each other forever. At some point he will have to return and you will have to talk, especially if your position in the group will continue to grow and develop as I am sure it will.”

Darcy sighed. “I know. Thanks. You have given me a lot to think about.”

“Then I will leave you to your thoughts,” Thor stood up and got ready to leave. “I will just add one more: You two were always passionate-”

“Please, don’t, Thor,” Darcy groaned.

“Let me finish, Darcy. I did not choose the word passionate without reason. Because from what I gathered you two always seemed to react strongly to each other, no matter what way you put it. You might want to think about what your relationship with Steven had looked like if the whole misconception, public speculation and story-telling about you two had not factored in.”

After Thor left her, Darcy did not return to her textbook but rather continued to think about her misconceptions and the new angle Thor had mentioned. So there was a difference between Captain America and Steven Rogers and she had mixed up the two, hence his accusation that she should try something else than history books and political essays. But how was she supposed to continue now? It was not like she would meet the real Steven Rogers ever again. Yes, they would have to work with each other at some point in the future, but now she knew that it would be in his professional persona as Captain America, leader of the Avengers, not as Steven Rogers, actual person. Any chance to really get to know the latter was well and truly over.

She sighed, got up and gathered her things. But when she returned to her desk Time Magazine was still lying right in her field of vision. So Darcy started reading.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the beginning was very obviously influenced by the Chris Evans/Chris Pratt hospital charity shenanigans at the beginning of the year. :D I had way too much fun writing the tabloid articles for this one so the section became longer than intended.


	12. Chapter 11

### Chapter 11

Sam let him wallow in his own guilt for a few weeks during which Steve tried to occupy himself as best as possible. He read, he sketched, he visited Peggy, he dug through information about Bucky’s programming and mission as the Winter Soldier for the ten thousandth time, he went to the Smithsonian, he accompanied Sam to the VA, he visited some charities, he convinced Sam to let him paint his living room. He barely had any contact with the tower except the weekly “there’s been no new developments” message from Tony and an update from Jarvis about his press coverage. He definitely got the message that they had put him in the doghouse for a bit.

He figured that that was finally about to change when a few weeks later Clint sat perched on Sam’s couch reading a magazine when Steve returned from Peggy’s nursing home.

“What is he doing here?” Steve asked Sam, who was standing in the kitchen, cutting up vegetables.

“Bird superheroes have to stick together, man,” Clint answered in his stead, putting aside his magazine.

“You can’t tell me that you’ve come here to visit Sam,” Steve said.

“Nah, I just wanted to say that for ages. Actually I’ve come here to tell you that you shouldn’t hide in DC any longer to avoid Darcy,” Clint suggested.

“I am **not** doing that!” Steve immediately objected.

“Yeah… right…” Clint said while rolling his eyes, “keep telling yourself that.”

“Have you come here to gloat?” Steve asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“No, I know that everybody gave you a piece of their mind already. I came to check on you and to find out what you plan to do now that you have messed things up with Darcy rather spectacularly. I mean, boy oh boy. Tony and Bruce had their suspicions already, but you knocked it out of the park with your behaviour.”

“Does everybody know what happened between me and Darcy Lewis?”

“Everybody except Thor – he’s back by the way, in case you didn’t know. We are keeping things from him because we are afraid he might actually do you some bodily harm if he knew. But the rest of us: we kind of ship you guys. In that Shakespearean Much Ado About Nothing there’s a thin line between love and hate way.”

Steve just reacted with a long-suffering look.

“Come on, Steve,” Clint continued, “you have a type. It’s smart-mouthed brunettes with a penchant for violence if you behave like a prime idiot in front of them.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Agent Carter. She shot at you after you assumed that she was sleeping with Tony’s father. Boy, I heard all about it. It is legendary. Part of the ‘back in the day when SHIELD was founded’ myth, really.”

Steve let out a long sigh. “That’s not really the same.”

“It’s not? Well, I told Darcy when I first met her that you are terrible with woman, so… I was right in that regard at least.”

“Is that turning into another scolding? Because to be honest I’ve had enough of those for a lifetime.”

“No,” Clint shook his head, “I’m just saying that you did wrong with that girl. And that she might be a good thing for you.”

“Right. I don’t think so.”

Clint eyed him curiously for a moment. “You know, Steve, you have this whole ‘It’s kind of hard to trust someone if you don’t know who that person really is’ attitude – Nat told me – but you didn’t even try to get to know Darcy. Maybe you should do that some time.”

~*~

He should have known that Clint was just the advance guard in his teammates’ ill-fated attempts to reunite him and Darcy Lewis. A few days later Darcy Lewis’ old SHIELD file appeared on his tablet. He deleted it the first time. It continued to appear. He continued to delete it. He wasn’t stupid enough to think that he would come across her file by accident for the first time, not at this point. When it wouldn’t delete off his tablet permanently his suspicions were all but confirmed. He assumed it was Tony (maybe with a few suggestions from Clint and/or Bruce) using Jarvis and the permanent uplink Steve had to Stark Industries servers what were dedicated to Avengers business. He was almost tempted to call Tony and tell him to stop it, but then decided against it thinking that silence on this was probably his best option. Now that his teammates were speaking with him again he had to endure a lot of jabs from Tony about what the latter had coined The _Pride & Prejudice_ situation (thinking his pun was so very hilarious) and he didn’t really want to provoke another set by opening the conversation with mentions of Darcy Lewis’ file.

He was in the middle of reading about Camp McCoy, where Bucky had been trained in 1943 before being shipped off to the Italian front, when the file with the picture of a smiling Darcy Lewis appeared before him once again.

He sighed and took a deep breath. He knew he was being stubborn and quite proud that so far his curiosity hadn’t gotten better of him. It was more annoying, really, being confronted with her life story so frequently. All he wanted to do was to put that whole mess he had created behind him, not feel even more guilt. And seriously, he had more important things to do than read the life story of a woman he would never see again. He shook his head for a second and then pushed the delete button with more force than intended.

“So, have you read it?” Sam had come to stand behind him.

Steve couldn’t feel but a little bit caught in the act. “Read what?” he asked back, trying to act nonchalant and putting the tablet on the table beside him.

“Darcy’s file. I couldn’t help but notice that it continues to appear on your tablet. And each time you delete it with more force.”

“Of course not!” Steve sounded scandalized. “Reading it would be stalkerish and creepy.”

“I thought as much,” Sam muttered.

“And as it is: Why would I do that? It’s not that I will see her again. There’s nothing I need to know further about her.”

“Oh boy, this is where you are wrong. She will be part of your group for months and years to come. Imagine that fancy full-time job that is waiting for her after she finishes her degree considering how well she is doing it now? She will work for… no _with_ the Avengers. Most importantly their leader, who is bound to be you, if you just accept it.”

Steve ignored the last part of Sam’s statement entirely. “Well, if we meet again, I assume that we can both behave like adults… like professionals,” he said with more conviction than he actually felt.

“Right, because you did such a great job the first time around,” Sam pointed out.

Steve just glared at him.

“Do you want me to tell you what it says in there?” Sam asked.

“Wait! Have you read it?”

“Nope, but I know most of the stories… from Tony and Clint and such.”

“Do you talk about us behind our backs?” Steve asked suspiciously.

“Not as much as you think. But anyway, did you know what she did when the destroyer sent by Loki attacked Puente Antiguo? And if you are going to say ‘scream and run’ I am going to punch you.”

Steve just shrugged. “No, I do not know. And I wasn’t going to suggest that,” he added defensively.

“Good, because you couldn’t have been more wrong. She actually helped with the civilian evacuation and then continued to rescue pets from the local pet store. You know, cute little puppies and all, so that they wouldn’t be burnt to ashes.”

“Thanks, I get the mental image,” Steve said more harshly than intended, but was entirely ignored by Sam.

“And after all that,” he continued unfazed, “you know, despite the trauma of being attacked by Norse gods and their toys and all, she still stayed with Jane. She followed her to Tromsø, Norway, where Jane was evacuated during the Chitauri attack on New York, and then to London as well. And then to New York, as you know already. And got into Columbia, juggling between a job with crazy scientists and her studies. She’s smart, but I think you figured that out already, the way she handled herself in those fiery… _discussions_ with you.”

“I recognize that tone and I don’t like it.”

“Aw, don’t be petty, Steve, just giving you some of the facts and background. I could go on about her family background but then… you two would have nothing left to discover when you finally meet again. But: if you were curious about her parents and such, the tabloids actually covered her family in full. So, no actual invasion of privacy done by you via reading her old SHIELD file.”

~*~

Steve couldn’t sleep. He lay in his bed, tossing and turning, but sleep kept eluding him. Had it not been for the blizzard outside he would have gotten up and gone for a run, but that was unfortunately out of the question. He got out of bed, wincing when his bare feet hit the cold floor and then padded around in Sam’s house, ending up on his couch.

He was of half a mind to turn on the TV in hopes that the program would lull him into sleep, when he saw his tablet lying on the side table in the living room. Later, he would chalk this up to his sleep-deprived mind playing tricks on him, but he knew that his curiosity had finally gotten the better of him. He reached for his tablet and googled Darcy Lewis.

Once again the search results were overwhelming. He scanned the dates when the articles were published and realised that new stories about her were written almost every single day. He clicked on the first few headlines (“Darcy braces for record snow on Columbia campus”, “Darcy’s Dramatic Weight Loss! Is her quest to keep up with real life superheroes becoming dangerous?”, “Gal pals Darcy and Jane out for girls’ night”) but he didn’t gather much information from them other than that she tried to continue her normal life in New York – or what appeared to be her normal life now – and was still a hot target for paparazzi and high in social media mentions.

Apparently a picture of her blotched face (from a cold he presumed, not unheard of during winter time, he thought with an eye roll) had started the break-up rumours (“Darcy distraught over supposed break-up rumours! Says the Captain is not cheating on her!”, “Our spring separation prediction – Darcy and the Captain No. 1 candidates”). He hoped for her sake that the coverage would remain that way, so that she would soon no longer be associated with him and could continue her life away from the spotlight.

But then he realised that this wasn’t very likely. As much as he liked to pretend that he would never see her again: sooner or later he would have to return to the tower and the Avengers and she would be there because she was to be an integral part of their support team. At some point they would need to meet. Maybe they would also be seen together in public.

He also remembered what she had told him during their last confrontation: She could never part from their connection, she would always be looked up when he was in the press because people would be wondering what the brunette he used to be with – Captain America’s first serious girlfriend ever since he woke up! – did now. The press would continue to do so until he settled down. And even then, for some people she would always be Captain America’s ex-girlfriend, his flavour du jour, a superhero’s groupie.

He had long since known that his accusations during their last confrontation had been wrong and uncalled for but now, four weeks after the fact, at three in the morning, the realisation really hit home. He didn’t know a thing about Darcy Lewis that hadn’t been clouded by his own misconceptions about her and by his complete misunderstanding of the media circle. He didn’t even remember what had made him dislike her so much except that she kept prodding where it hurt. The thing was, he now realised, she hadn’t done it out of any malicious glee, but rather because she wanted to preempt political campaigns in his name and protect the people close to him. But the closer she had come to the political issues and his own personal entanglements, the more he had tried to drive her away and invalidate her arguments.

And he had been mean and self-righteous to boot. Looking back at the tabloid coverage he finally understood that she had had nothing to gain from their connection. As a matter of fact he had been lucky that she had handled it with poise and intelligence so that it hadn’t spiralled out of control even further. She could have used the publicity for her own advantage, she could have made deals with tabloid publishers, television hosts and probably even gotten a book deal or her own reality show out of it, but she had never betrayed any confidence. And how had he thanked her? By not taking any of her opinions into account, by disappointing her every step of the way and even accusing her of unsavoury behaviour.

He had let Darcy Lewis down terribly.

~*~

Steve wasn’t an idiot so he could tell that even Sam’s patience was wearing thin. What he hadn’t expected was that Sam would confront him outright one morning.

Steve was just getting ready to head out, when Sam arrived in the kitchen, mail in hand.

“Your invitation to the Governor’s ball arrived today, Pepper forwarded the paper invitation to my address,” Sam said, handing the embossed, expensive paper to him. “And before you ask: No, I don’t want to be your plus one. I’d rather jump into a pool of sharks than have to play nice with the political vultures circling the event.”

Steve just cast a cursory glance at the card, realising that it was in less than two weeks already. “Playing nice with the most powerful political elite isn’t my forte either,” he then answered.

“But are you going to attend? You’d have to return to New York for that, you know.”

“I know. I might put in a short visit for the sake of appearance. The last time I attended a charity shindig it didn’t really end well,” Steve grimaced.

“Oh, right, that thing last October when you were caught red-handed in a passionate display with Darcy Lewis that everybody misinterpreted,” Sam said knowingly.

“Exactly.”

“She might be there, you know that, right?” Sam pointed out. “It’s a publicity thing and it’s a political thing, so it’s right up her alley.”

“I know,” Steve simply said, lacing up his boots.

“So are you ready to meet her?” Sam continued his prodding.

“I really don’t know,” Steve just sighed. “I’ll know when we’re standing right in front of each other.”

“That might be too late, you have less than two weeks to figure it out.”

“Maybe I’ll just not go,” Steve just said.

Sam looked at him flabbergasted for a moment. “You cannot avoid her forever, Steve!”

“Just leave me be, Sam, I’ll figure it out.”

“Right, you might, but I’m worried that you’ll be your mopey-ass self for another four months and not do anything.”

Steve just gave him an exasperated look but didn’t say anything. Instead he got his jacket and went to the door.

“Where are you headed now?” Sam asked, following him.

“Out,” Steve simply said, not wanting to discuss that he was going to visit the Smithsonian exhibition once again.

He should have remembered Sam’s acumen. “You are going to the exhibition, aren’t you?” Sam realised within seconds. “Your home away from home.”

“Why the sudden accusatory tone?” Steve asked snidely, but Sam didn’t react to that.

“Don’t you think that’s dangerous?” Sam said sharply instead, forcing Steve to turn around.

“What do you mean?” Steve crossed his hands in front of his chest and looked at Sam expectantly.

“That you might be so wrapped up in your past that you forget the present and the future?”

“Yeah, I don’t think so,” Steve said, going for the door once more.

He was held back by Sam once again. “Steve,” he said quietly, “I know that Tony and Bruce gave you a lecture about your behaviour towards Darcy already and I know it’s been weighing down on you, too, but what about your other behaviour? You haven’t acted very charitable towards anyone these past weeks and months. Not very Captain-y of you.”

“Come to the point, Wilson,” Steve said impatiently, narrowing his eyes at him.

“Okay, I can be blunt: You are hiding behind Bucky and your quest to find him to avoid re-connecting to the real world. But maybe it’s time to tackle the elephant in the room: What if Bucky doesn’t want to be found? You’ve been searching him for months, all the trails have gone cold. If Bucky is the intelligence asset we know him to be, he probably knows that you are searching for him and he is very consciously avoiding contact. Maybe you should consider pointing your life into another direction instead of blindly going down that road that is eventually only going to end up in disappointment.”

“How dare you,” Steve hissed. “Bucky is my best friend. He’s the closest person I’ve ever had. If you think that I will ever give up on him, you are mistaken. I’ve lost him once already; I’ll not lose him a second time.”

Sam held his hands up in defence. “And I get that,” Sam conceded, “I know how you are with Barnes, but still: arranging your whole life around your quest is very dangerous. Your single-minded determination to find him and protect him at all costs might do more harm than good. Think about potential casualties you are leaving by the wayside.”

“Of all my friends stabbing me in the back… I wouldn’t have expected this from you, Sam.”

“I’m not stabbing you in the back, Steve,” Sam defended himself immediately. “We are all worried about you. It’s time for some brutal honesty because otherwise you don’t understand anymore!”

“I think I understand just fine,” Steve just said coldly and opened the door.

“Don’t leave now, Steve, we should talk this out.”

“I don’t want to talk about anything,” Steve shot back. “It just ends with how much of a disappointment I am in general.”

“If that’s what you think, we should definitely not end the conversation like this. Steve, don’t leave!” Sam said, his voice growing louder, but Steve refused to listen. “Keep that stuff in and you’ll be getting an ulcer,” Sam yelled after him before Steve could slam the door behind him.


	13. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 12 aka “Miss Lewis goes to Washington”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter in two days? Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you. That being said: The next chapter ist not going to be ready before October, I'm flying under the radar for a bit.

### Chapter 12

Darcy read the article three times. Afterwards she felt guilty and strangely voyeuristic. The article had felt uncommonly personal and she wasn’t sure if she really had the right to know all this about Steven Rogers. Not after everything she had done.

In order to avoid any more temptation and to prevent herself from learning the contents by heart with reading it over and over again, she decided to return the magazine to its rightful owners, which would probably be Tony or Bruce.

“I think this belongs to one of you guys.” Darcy placed Time Magazine on Bruce’s workstation the next morning.

“Oh, I was wondering where that had wandered off to.” Tony entirely failed to sound convincing and Darcy just looked at him, one eyebrow raised.

“Sooooooo,” he began seconds later. “Have you read it?”

“Why?” Darcy shot back. “Do you want to have an academic discussion on this? ‘Superheroes and the media: Portrayals of Steven Rogers in print’.”

“No, I just want to make sure you have the correct takeaway from this,” Tony said.

“Which would be?” Darcy asked curiously.

“Our boy sucks at making a good first impression,” Bruce answered, to which Tony nodded emphatically. “Even with reporters that are already biased in his favour.”

“Well, thanks for the heads up,” Darcy grinned. “Interesting read, but… nothing more.”

“So, do you want to read any more?” Tony asked.

“I think I’m good.”

The thing was: From her homework back in November Darcy still had articles such as “Disobedience and Guerrilla tactics: Captain America at war”, “Punching Hitler and beyond: How Captain America helped legitimize American military operations” and “Between fact and fiction: Accounts of Captain America through the ages” saved in her reading list and now that she had started reading up on him and had crossed a line to begin with, she couldn’t really resist temptation on a slow day at work.

She read the academic titles and other offerings in peer-reviewed publications first. She then went for weekly and monthly quality news magazines. Next were biographies – the few good ones that were reviewed favourably from all sides. Jarvis still sent her daily updates about the tabloid coverage so she basically knew everything about his current media profile anyway.

She stayed away from most of the movies and TV shows that had been made about him, even the ones from the 40s that starred Steven Rogers himself, because everybody agreed that the majority of them were terrible. But when she was out sick because both Maria and Jane would not allow her to work and barred her from her office and the labs until Jarvis had confirmed that she no longer had any fever she binge watched the entire 10-part HBO Howling Commandos show and loved it.

A day later the break-up rumours started. Apparently going outside with a cold and being photographed with red-rimmed eyes and blotchy face from sneezing so much after not appearing with the assumed boyfriend for weeks would do that to your fake relationship, Darcy thought bitterly. The only upside: if the coverage continued that way, she would soon be Captain America’s ex-girlfriend, which meant a lot less attention from the tabloids and maybe a return to a tiny resemblance of her normal pre-tabloid life.

~*~

**Our spring separation prediction – Darcy and the Captain No. 1 candidates**

Far be it from us to start the separation rumours because we were all rooting for the Captain finding happiness with his refreshingly ordinary girl. But it’s not just those pictures of Darcy walking around with red-rimmed eyes like she cried a lot recently and definitely looking worse for the wear, there are also other indicators: The two haven’t been seen together in ages; they definitely spent the Christmas holiday separately; Darcy continues her blissfully normal life in New York City, while the Captain is seen out and about in Washington DC these days. The distance alone makes upholding a new relationship very difficult and then many experts, our columnist Kayleen Potter included, have already predicted that those two – while looking very adorable together – were just too different to make it.

~*~

At some point Darcy could no longer tell herself that her Captain America media binge was purely professional curiosity because she would have to represent him in her professional function and that now that she had misjudged him once already it made sense that she needed to know everything about Captain America and Steve Rogers. She let herself fall into a hole of Captain America related media accounts she couldn’t crawl out of. Once she started to search for it actively, she was overwhelmed by the wealth of information that was available on him, that surpassed everything she had learned about him at both school and university.

She knew that she wasn’t even good at hiding or even downplaying it but so far her fellow housemates refrained from mentioning anything. The internet was another thing. Thanks to her search history advertisements for the Captain America Smithsonian exhibit kept appearing in her browser window, which was even more of a temptation. At first she was hesitant to travel to DC, because she had a lot of sources at her disposal in New York already, but the more she read about the exhibition and the reviews online, the more she felt that she needed to go, that it was essential piece missing in the puzzle that was Steven Rogers.

The only thing that kept her in New York was the ridicule that she would have to endure from Tony, Bruce and Clint and probably Jane as well. Until she decided if she was willing to bear that, she had to be content to read everything about the Captain in every free minute she had.

She was about to click on the very telling headline “The Captain rescues puppy, America swoons” when Jane appeared behind her.

“Is this becoming a thing?” Jane asked, while Darcy frantically tried to close the tab.

“What is?” Darcy entirely failed to sound innocent.

Jane looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “You reading up on Steve.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Darcy claimed, fully aware how pathetic she sounded.

“Well, you started with academia, but by now you are basically stalking his news profile,” Jane pointed out, making Darcy blush. “Next thing you will be planning to visit his exhibit in Washington, that or starting the very bad movies made about him.”

Darcy looked up guiltily at the mention of the exhibition in Washington, which Jane registered immediately. “Oh my god, you _are_ planning a visit to the Smithsonian,” Jane exclaimed.

“No…” Darcy said, refusing to meet Jane’s eyes, “but kind of yes?”

Jane just looked at her expectantly, arms crossed in front of her chest.

“It’s just…” Darcy tried to explain, “I feel like I should go… Maybe I’ll understand him better. He’s such a… riddle wrapped up in an enigma behind the whole media smokescreen of the myth and I kind of misunderstood him the whole time. And maybe I’ll actually get some closure. Also: I should know everything about him for my job, so there’s the added benefit.”

“Well, the last explanation is total bullshit,” was Jane’s verdict. “Also: You can find out all about him once he actually returns to New York.”

“Yeah, right, as if we are ever going to talk to each other again,” Darcy replied deadpan. “And if we do, we are totally baring our inner workings to each other. Then afterwards we will drink martinis, paint our nails and braid each other’s hair.”

“Well, stranger things have happened, see: Norse Gods landing in New Mexico.”

“It’s just… I need to know,” Darcy said. “I really do. I feel like I’m missing something if I don’t do it.”

Jane sighed deeply. “Well, I think it’s a stupid idea, but I feel that I really cannot persuade you from it. You’ve all but made up your mind. And maybe you’ll return to your normal, sensible, media-savvy self afterwards. Because you’ve hardly been yourself these past weeks. That whole train wreck with Steve really pulled a number on your self-perception, didn’t it?”

Darcy nodded. “Yeah, it did.”

~*~

Darcy put in an official request to borrow a car from the Stark Industries fleet for her next off day from university and then made her way south to Washington. In order not to be recognized she wore a beanie and her glasses and wore no makeup. She knew it was not the best disguise, but it would have to do. She had heard that even months after its official opening it was still well frequented, even during weekdays, and hoped that she would just get lost in the crowd and not be spotted by anybody.

The exhibition didn’t disappoint. It had all the things Darcy had heard of and read about and more. There were newspaper clippings from the 40s, old newsreels depicting his missions on the European Theatre, every single run of the Captain America comic starting with the first version from 1943, original posters used for the USO tour and a full clip showing “The Star Spangled Man with a Plan” music number. There was a large scientific portion dedicated to the super soldier serum that had turned a 90-pound asthmatic into the pinnacle of physical perfection. There was information about military strategies first used by Captain America and his Howling Commandos, some of which were used and taught to this day.

Their collection of memorabilia was unparalleled. The US military had provided the original motorcycle he had used for most of his campaigns and the original Howling Commandos uniforms. A sign informed her that the vintage Captain America uniform was no longer available to display because it had been destroyed during the Captain’s latest fight in Washington to defeat Hydra once and for all (with a cheeky note that he had stolen it – or rather borrowed without consent – from the exhibition himself). A lot of descendants of the Howling Commandos had opened their personal collections and had contributed never seen before photographs of Captain America and his Howling Commandos. There was even art on display that had been found in the few personal belongings he’d left behind in London. There was a note that a lot of Steven Rogers’ pre-war personal belongings had been sold to Howard Stark in the 1960s and had never been displayed in public.

A large portion itself was dedicated to the Howling Commandos, detailing their life before and after they had met Steve Rogers (including their letters home to their next of kin with details about their operations and every-day life at the front, which had been heavily redacted back in the day) and what had happened to them after the war. The most depressing display was obviously the one about Bucky Barnes, the one Howling Commando killed in action and Steven Rogers’ closest friend.

When she turned around from the Bucky Barnes display she bumped into somebody. A man, she realised when she looked up and opened her mouth to apologise. A man with a very nice chest. A very muscly chest. A chest attached to a face that she – despite baseball hat, glasses and scruff – definitely recognized.

Steve Rogers looked down at her, recognition dawning on his face, which turned into an expression of horror. Darcy closed her mouth with a snap and they stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, but was just a few seconds. Then Captain Rogers looked around, taking in their surroundings for a moment, and stepped closer to her, taking her hand.

“I’m not trying to manhandle you,” he whispered into her ear, “but please don’t make a scene. I’d rather not be caught in the press crossfire of being exposed at my own exhibition. And with my presumed girlfriend, too.”

“Trying to avoid the spotlight and the headlines of ‘Starcy’s super secret Smithsonian sojourn’?” she whispered back. “I’m all for it. Lead the way, Captain.”

He led her through the crowd quickly and efficiently while Darcy had her gaze fixed to the ground to avoid catching anybody’s eye. He ushered her into a miniature movie theatre, where video testimonials of Captain America’s contemporaries were on display. A man and his daughter were the only other occupants of the room, so he motioned her to sit down and then took the place next to her.

They were silent for a while. When Darcy finally dared to look at Captain Rogers, he looked at anything in the room but her. In front of her the legendary Peggy Carter was talking about how Steve… Captain Rogers had saved nearly 1000 men during a mission in World War II.

When the man and his daughter left them alone, she took this as the cue to start apologising profusely. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know you would be here,” she said. “You know, the real you, not the exhibition you. I shouldn’t have-”

He silenced her with a raised hand. “Stop it, there’s nothing you have to apologise for.”

“I shouldn’t have come,” Darcy said more to herself. “This is so awkward. And Washington was, you know, your… turf.”

He looked at her in earnest confusion and probably was about to ask her what she meant by that statement, when another family came into the room and sat down two rows in front of them, effectively ending their conversation. They all stared at the video of Colonel Philips detailing the supersoldier project. When the movie switched again to show Dum Dum Dugan telling a story about how one of their missions first went hilariously awry until “Steve and Bucky” came up with an outrageous idea that involved a goat, 60 square feet of fabric from one of the parachutes, their cooking gear, Gabe’s helmet and socks from all members of the group, Darcy couldn’t take the silence any longer.

“Are you not going to ask me what I am doing here?” Darcy whispered, unnerved.

“Why would I? It’s not my place to ask and you can go wherever you like.”

“But the invasion of privacy…” she let her words trail off, unsure what to say.

He took off his fake glasses and rubbed his eyes, before putting them back on. “This is an exhibition about Captain America, not about me. Sure, you will get a bit more background on my war years and my surprising resurrection, but other than that… So the invasion of my privacy can’t be worse than what you’ve had to endure by the tabloids and paparazzi as my presumed girlfriend when I did nothing.”

It took all of Darcy’s self control to not groan and bury her head in her hands when he mentioned the paparazzi. They would have a field day when anybody caught the two together at the Captain America exhibition. “I just wasn’t thinking. And now we are stuck here together and if anybody gets wind of this, this will be the tabloid fodder for weeks to come and you will never be able to go here undetected.”

“Don’t worry, I will get us out of here,” he whispered in full Captain America confidence.

“Both of us?” she asked back, to which he just nodded.

They waited for the other family to leave them alone together, watching several mini videos with details of Captain America’s heroic deeds as told by his Howling Commandos. Darcy didn’t take in much of the videos, other than that his comrades spoke of him with great fondness and called him “Steve” throughout.

“We should leave now,” he said, when they were alone again and got up.

“Together?” Darcy asked, disbelievingly. “Shouldn’t we… you know… better not be seen with each other?”

He shook his head forcefully. “Couples are more inconspicuous, we will blend in better if we play it that way,” he explained quietly. “Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable.”

“Public displays of affection?” Darcy repeated, sounding mildly hysterical.

“Nothing you hopefully won’t be uncomfortable with,” he reassured her immediately. “Do you mind if I put my arm around you?”

She just shook her head numbly and he stepped closer to her, one hand resting on her hip.

“If you feel like people might suspect something, just lean in on me and giggle like I said something funny, okay?”

Darcy just nodded, but didn’t look up at him.

“Let’s get out of here, then. I’ll lead the way – because I know it best.”

Despite all her fears their exit from the Smithsonian went without a hitch. The Captain led her to the nearest exist swiftly and confidently. As soon as they were out of the museum and away from the crowd of people, he ended all body contact and put a safe distance between them.

“I’ll see you back to your car safely,” he said in a voice that brooked no opposition, so Darcy just shrugged in agreement.

They walked next to each other in silence, Darcy leading the way now. She mentally berated herself. Jane had been right; the visit had been an idiotic idea. Not only had she risked of being recognized at her presumed boyfriend’s exhibition, but now she had walked into the man himself, making things between them even more awkward. Obviously he had escaped to DC to avoid her and what had she done? She had more or less forced a meeting. Luckily for her, the Captain didn’t seem to be the of the resentful kind and had – as opposed to her – seemingly put their whole past interaction behind him and was able to treat her like a casual acquaintance. One that needed saving, too. She mentally shook her head. She, on the other hand, had just been stupid, trying to find out things that shouldn’t interest her the least.

“This is me,” Darcy said awkwardly when they finally reached her car. Not knowing what to do with her hands, she stuffed them into her coat pockets. He mirrored her movements and looked at her, expression unreadable.

“Have a safe trip home,” he said hesitantly. “Say ‘Hi’ to the others from me – if you want to tell them about our impromptu meeting that is.”

“I will. Thor is desperate for news from you. If you don’t get in touch with him soon, he might fly down here in all his God of Thunder glory and hunt you down. He came to New York a few days after we-” Darcy closed her mouth with a snap, not wanting to recall their last parting.

He forced a smile. “I will contact him,” he then promised earnestly.

Darcy just nodded and rummaged in her purse to find the car keys. She unlocked the doors with the remote and then looked at him again. “Goodbye, Captain,” was all she said.

He answered with a single curt nod and a “Miss Lewis.” Then he turned around and headed towards the exit of the parking lot with long strides.

Darcy watched after his retreating back, feeling guilty somehow. It was not that she had been dismissive to him, but she realised that it was practically her fault that he felt it necessary to be exiled in Washington and that he was not with his friends in New York. They could be polite with each other, right? Their interaction just now had proven that they could behave like reasonable adults in each other’s company. He had definitely nailed the “we are casual acquaintances without any ugly history whatsoever”. There was no reason for them to be in different cities in order to avoid further confrontations and physical violence from her part. She had long since forgiven him for his hurtful accusations and he hopefully had, too. One of them just needed to make the first step.

He was already a good 50 feet away from her when she made the decision that it was up to her to make it. “Captain?” she yelled and sprinted after him.

He turned around and looked at her quizzically for a second. Then his face became closed off and unreadable once more.

“You don’t have to hide in DC to avoid me, you know,” she said, when she came standing right in front of him. “If you are based in New York, you should be there, with your teammates, friends and all. Despite our actions telling us otherwise: We are both adults. We’ll work something out, we don’t have to interact, per se.” He continued to stare at her and his non-reaction was freaking her out more by the second. “And I just realised that you don’t really need my permission or anything, but yeah,” she finished off lamely, “just my two cents.”

He was silent for a second. “Thanks,” he then just said quietly. “I’ll take it under consideration. I have… stuff to do first. I’m a bit preoccupied at the moment,” he explained further.

Darcy just nodded, realising that he was giving her a very polite brush off. “Yeah, whatever, you can do what you like, but don’t let me keep you.”

They stared at each other, silently, awkwardly, until he cleared his throat and gestured at her car. “You should probably, you know… If you want to make it back in good time.”

“Oh, yes, right.” Darcy turned around to head back towards the car. After two steps she looked over her shoulder back at him, where he had not moved from his place and was looking after her intently. “I hope I will see you around, Captain.”

“You might, Miss Lewis, maybe,” he responded with a small smile.

She then headed towards the car and looked back one more time when she reached it to wave goodbye to him – only to discover that he had already vanished from her sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup, this was partially the Pemberley chapter. Tell me what you think!


	14. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who caught the first cold of the season! This girl! So I'm posting this, even though it took me like way too long to format it via html and css (you'll see at the end). 
> 
> It's almost a shame that my personal workskin for this story is automatically overwritten once you download the pdf. Maybe I'll generate a "pretty" downloadable pdf once I'm done with the story - if you guys are interested, that is. Would you be interested?
> 
> **@LilRamenLover** \- love the discussion! I'll answer when I no longer sound like a 78-year-old chain smoker!
> 
> Also, I'm taking part (or trying to, at least) in the [Steve/Darcy month](http://darcystevemonth.tumblr.com/), so updates on this story during October might not be as fast.

### Chapter 13

Of course Darcy knew about the Governor’s ball. It was the opportunity to hobnob with the political elite and everybody was grasping for an invitation. Official invitations only arrived two weeks before the actual event but everybody who was anybody kept the date free in their calendar just in case. Which was why she was surprised that she was meant to go. Pepper officially took her along as her plus one. Seemed like for her first public appearance she was to be thrown into shark-infested waters.

“Is anybody else attending?” she asked once Pepper had told her about it.

“No, not even all of the Avengers get invitations, Thor, Natasha and Clint didn’t. Tony doesn’t want to attend, he hates it, and for this I actually let him go through with it. It’s definitely not the right scene for Bruce, so he declined the invitation as well. And Steve, he received an invitation, but he’s…” Pepper hesitated for a second and Darcy silently added ‘avoiding you’ to the end of her sentence, “not in New York,” Pepper then finished lamely.

Even though she had promised the Captain to say “Hi” she hadn’t told anybody about their disastrous meeting at the Smithsonian, the embarrassment was just too acute. She had had to endure some good-natured hazing from Clint, Bruce and Tony for going there to begin with so she didn’t really want to be the subject to any further teasing by confessing that her embarrassment had been even more acute. She was counting her lucky stars, too, that apparently nobody had spotted them together at the exhibition and taken a stealthy photo, so thankfully there had been no pictures on social media or the like that would’ve led to a fresh media onslaught and the Captain never being able to visit his own exhibition again.

As far as she knew he hadn’t returned to New York and he hadn’t gotten in touch with any of his teammates to announce his impending return, so Darcy just had to assume that her attempt at reconciliation would remain just that: an attempt.

“So, it’s just going to be you and me?” Darcy asked for clarification.

Pepper nodded. “You up for it?”

“Getting the newest political dirt under the pretext of charity? I can totally do that.”

Nevertheless Darcy was glad that that for her first red carpet experience she had Pepper by her side. They walked together, they posed while the cameras went off (the flashes making her eyes water) and Darcy managed to somehow not accidentally trip and fall or in any other way disgrace the human race. Still, the red carpet felt endless and she was glad when they finally arrived at the entrance and she no longer felt like she was under a microscope of a thousand cameras. She would need to check for the pictures immediately after the event was over, so she sent off a request to Jarvis to gather everything about the Governor’s ball before she made it into the venue.

She briefly wondered what the commotion that had started at the other end of the red carpet was all about and for a moment she considered checking social media to find out which A-list celebrity had probably put in a surprise appearance, but then she was swept off by Pepper to be introduced to very important people and forgot all about it.

It was different, Darcy presumed, to be introduced by Pepper as somebody who worked for her and not to be identified as Captain America’s girlfriend first. She still got lots of appraising looks (because her relationship was supposedly very much on the rocks and about to break off for good at any moment), but people didn’t mention it (much) and were mostly professional and curious.

Darcy mostly stood silently next to Pepper, observing how Pepper treated the people she deemed important, and made small talk when the situation asked for it.

“Is Steve not attending?” Whitney Frost asked Pepper halfway through the evening. “I have yet to see him in the crowd. One of his championed charities is on the list tonight, is it not? That would be reason enough for an appearance, would it not?”

“We don’t know yet,” Pepper just commented. “He’s very busy at the moment. As much as he would have liked to attend sometimes he is needed elsewhere. It cannot be helped.”

“I hope it’s nothing that I will be reading about in the papers tomorrow or the next week?” she asked with a wink.

“Well, you never know what the boys get up to,” Pepper answered with a fake smile. “But then there’s Darcy to handle the media, so there’s that.”

“Oh, the mystery girlfriend,” Whitney said, shifting her attention to Darcy. “The whole room has been abuzz ever since your attendance became known, but Pepper’s steely behaviour made it clear to not ask any questions on the love life – no matter how abysmal it currently is portrayed to be.”

“I can assure you, Whitney,” Darcy just said sweetly, “that every single report about my love life has been greatly exaggerated.”

When Whitney left her alone with Pepper, Darcy turned towards her. “I didn’t know that the Captain was thought to be so heavily invested in this year’s event.”

“He wasn’t,” Pepper explained. “They chose the charity in hopes that he would make an appearance, but he didn’t. But for the sake of appearances we don’t tell them that he won’t come. Just tell people that he’s busy. Don’t make it appear as if he’s skipping this.”

“There are powerful people here,” Darcy nodded. “I get it. We need their good graces.” She thought for a moment. “The Captain couldn’t make an appearance but it’s still important to him so he sent his girlfriend instead,” Darcy said without malice.

Pepper nodded approvingly. “Well spotted.”

“You could have told me that. It wouldn’t have changed anything, you know. I would still have come.”

“You would?” Pepper said, one eyebrow raised questioningly.

Darcy nodded firmly. “I would. I can be professional in regards to him.”

“Good to hear.”

At some point during the night Darcy and Pepper became briefly separated when Pepper had wandered off talking to an old friend leaving Darcy alone sipping her water and looking at her surroundings. At this point she was marvelling how she had ended up here, of all places. She would never have guessed that she would be socialising with the political and societal elite – and that she herself would be a topic of conversation, too. She was still trying to get her head around all of it when she was suddenly accosted by Madeline Schroder, the mayor’s wife.

“There you are!” the latter said, taking her by her hand. “He is probably already looking for you.”

“Um, excuse me?”

“Come with me.”

It took all of Darcy’s self control to not add “if you want to live” after that statement.

She took Darcy by the hand and led her through the crowd. Only when the suddenly stood in front of Steven Rogers, Darcy realised what their destination had been. His expression probably mirrored her own because he looked like a deer caught in the headlights for a second before he could manage a neutral expression.

“Steve! Look who I found for you! Your adorable girlfriend! You shouldn’t leave her all by herself, you know. Somebody else might snatch her up.”

The Captain looked at Madeline Schroder like she had suddenly grown a second head, but then apparently managed to collect his bearings. “How could I be so remiss…” was his deadpan reply.

“It’s not gentlemanlike, you know,” Madeline tittered.

They stood next to each other awkwardly for a second when Madeline Schroder seemed to spot another face in the crowd that required her immediate attention. “I’ll be right back, don’t go anywhere, you two!”

Darcy waited until she was out of earshot to say: “Captain, fancy meeting you here. I’ve been telling people for the last two hours that you will probably not attend because you are too busy.”

He looked at her in genuine surprise. “You did? I told Tony last week that I’d probably show up. Oh,” he then just said when his words registered, “I guess he didn’t tell anyone.”

“Oh god,” Darcy groaned. “Our friends set us up. You realise this, don’t you?”

He nodded briefly. “Yeah, they are matchmaking, I guess. Or trying to.”

“This is super awkward,” Darcy just said. She was tempted to run her hand through her hair, but that would have ruined her hairstyle. “Why would they do that?”

“I’d love to get into that, but we have to do that later. More important at this point: What are we supposed to be doing now?” he asked and pointed at Madeline who was apparently already on her way back to them through the crowd.

“That’s the mayor’s wife,” Darcy explained.

“I know.”

“She’s powerful and not afraid to be anti-Avengers when the situation calls for it,” Darcy further elaborated. “We better not antagonize her.”

Immediately the Captain wrapped one hand around Darcy’s waist and pulled her closer. He bowed his head so that his lips were next to her ear. “So we play along?” he whispered.

Darcy just nodded. “So we play along,” she whispered back.

Madeline Schroder was once more held back by an acquaintance, fraying Darcy’s nerves even more, when she noticed that the Captain looked down at her calculatingly.

“What?” Darcy just asked, irritated.

He took a deep breath. “I don’t know if this is your kind of thing, but… we could make this fun, you know.”

Darcy did a double take. “What do you mean?” she then asked quietly.

“People are matchmaking anyway. Let’s see how many untruths about our relationship we can actually get into the conversation when asked?” he suggested.

Darcy stared at him, her mouth open. Of all the things she hadn’t expected that.

“It’s… you know…” he explained with a shrug. “We will get asked and nobody will believe the truth anyway, so we might as well… have some fun at their expense? Mess with their preconceived notions?”

Before she could give him an answer, Madeline had returned to their side, making polite conversation. Darcy was uncharacteristically mute, still grappling with both his sudden appearance and his surprising suggestion. Thankfully Captain Rogers, the ever consummate professional superhero, took over the small talk while Darcy just listened with half an ear, quietly sipping her drink and asking herself when she could extricate herself from the embarrassing situation. That was, when Madeline suddenly started speaking to Darcy directly.

“But Darcy, aren’t you worried that being the Captain’s girlfriend will make you a target for his enemies?”

Darcy stared at her for a moment and then – thinking back to her first encounter with New York’s elite asking about her love life – decided to take the plunge. “They have to get through the throng of paparazzi first to get to me,” she said sweetly and with a challenging look at Steve, whose reaction was a barked-out a laugh, which he barely managed to conceal as a cough.

“Darcy! This is no laughing matter! Steve, you have to support me on this!”

“I am well aware and trust me, we have this all figured out,” he said in all seriousness. “As a matter of fact, Darcy will have some one-on-one self defence training with the Black Widow as soon as the possibility arises.”

He looked down at Darcy in challenge and this time it was her turn to conceal her snort with a cough. “Really, I never knew about this. Let me tell you, Madeline,” she added in a conspiratorial whisper, “that’s superhero boyfriends for you, always so secretive! I barely knew what I got myself into, when I first met him.”

“How did you two meet anyway?”

“Oh, Steven is really good at telling the story. Come on, Steven.” She nudged him into the ribs with her elbows, giving him a fake smile. He just looked at her with narrowed eyes for a second and then started talking.

“It really started with my friend Natasha trying to set me up with random women, I have to admit. I think she felt I was lonely. That’s the Black Widow for you, such a great and generous heart… But anyway, we met at the Strand actually. You know, where our first picture together was taken?”

“Oh yes!” Madeline said excitedly. “But that cannot have been your first meeting, for sure?”

“Of course not. Back to the day we met… On this particular day I had gone to escape Natasha’s matchmaking clutches, because even I can only take so much. So I was busy browsing the aisle with the cooking books-”

“No, that’s not right, it wasn’t the cooking books,” Darcy interrupted him.

“Of course it was, _sweetheart_. I remember every detail. Your hair smelled like honeysuckle and you were wearing that grey sweater that makes your eyes appear particularly stunning. But maybe you should continue the story, Darcy Dear?” he asked her, raising his eyebrow in challenge.

Not to be outdone, Darcy continued their fake story without a moment of hesitation: “Well, I think we were in the aisle with the 19th century literature and I was just looking into a beautiful edition of Jane Austen’s Emma when this handsome fella ran right into me, almost knocking me over.”

“No!” Madeline sounded scandalized.

“Yup, that’s the gospel truth,” Darcy said. “Total meet cute in the bookstore. We ran into each other, all my stuff fell on the floor, he helped me gather my things and of course every curse I wanted to haul at him died on my lips when I looked into his beautiful baby blues.”

“But you haven’t told her the twist yet, Darcy,” Steve commented.

“Which would be?” Madeline asked, looking between them.

“The fact that we didn’t manage to exchange names or numbers and it would take another accidental meeting for us to get to that point,” Steve answered.

“Oh, of course, yes,” Darcy nodded. “Do you want to tell that part?”

“No no, Darling, go ahead.”

“Our second meeting happened in an elevator, we have Tony Stark to thank for that, actually, incidentally. I was supposed to go out to lunch with my friend Jane when I realised that I had forgotten my umbrella and had to ride back up to the labs. The doors were just closing when I heard somebody call ‘Hold the elevator!’ and running down the hallway. Being the nice person that I am I of course held the elevator for said person to get in. So the guy gets in and I immediately think that he looks terribly familiar, but what are the chances, right?”

“And I get into the elevator,” Steve continued, “and I see this girl, this woman and it’s her, my mystery girl from the bookstore. The one I’d never quite forgotten. But before I work up the courage to say something the elevator stopped between floors.”

“And we were both trapped inside. I should say that I don’t do well in confined spaces,” Darcy added.

“So naturally we were both frightened at first, but she even more than I. I could see immediately how terrified she was. I put all the emergency protocols in place but the estimate was that it would take some time to get us out. So I had to get over my shyness and distract her somehow.”

“So we started talking.”

“And continued talking.”

“Time just seemed to fly by, actually.”

“We were actually surprised when the doors opened again at some point.”

“By that point my friend Jane had already deserted me so Steve and I spent the rest of the day together and had a marvellous time. We exchanged numbers and the rest is history as they say,” Darcy said with a shrug.

“But it really was fate,” Steve added, “we would have met eventually anyway because Darcy is already Thor’s best friend. When we found out our common friend we were already deeply in love. I have to say for myself: I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.”

Darcy looked up at him with surprise in her eyes, while Madeline just commented with a sigh and a “That’s so adorable. So, what are you up to next, Darcy?” she then added. “I can clearly see that the horrible, _horrible_ break-up rumours are just a ploy to sell more magazines.”

“Well,” Darcy said, “I’ll finish my degree, start working full time with Pepper Potts and become a kick ass political liaison.”

“I didn’t mean this, silly. I meant your family planning.”

“Um,” Darcy said, she hadn’t expected that particular question, “we haven’t known each other for that long, so that topic hasn’t really come up yet.”

“So any pregnancy rumours?” Madeline looked pointedly first at Darcy’s water glass and then at her stomach.

“Are what it says on the top,” Darcy nodded firmly, “just rumours.”

“I wouldn’t have Darcy give up her career for children anyway,” Steve chimed in. “I might be better suited to stay at home to take care of the kids, since I only work when I’m needed anyway.”

“You are ready to be a stay-at-home-dad?” Madeline said surprised.

Steve just nodded solemnly. “Totally.”

Madeline looked at him aghast for a moment, but quickly recovered. “So much for an unconventional relationship,” she just commented.

Their conversation dwindled shortly afterwards and Madeline moved on to her next target, whereas Darcy and Steve got caught up in a series of shorter conversations during which they told people different stories about how they had met each other (with the “Steve rescued an unaware Darcy during the Chitauri attack and was reunited with her two years later by Thor” story turning out to be a particular favourite throughout the evening). At some point Darcy began to enjoy herself tremendously.

That was, until Pepper caught up with them and Darcy felt like a cat that had eaten the canary all of the sudden. Darcy briefly wondered if Pepper had known about forcing a meeting between her and Steve at a public event, but then Pepper looked at Steve, her eyes opening slightly in surprise, and it was clear that she hadn’t been aware of their friends’ plans.

“Steve,” Pepper said, her voice not betraying any emotion. She looked between the two of them, clearly disturbed by the syrupy sweet smiles that both of them were wearing and her gaze rested on Steve’s hand on Darcy’s hip a tad too long. “How nice of you to make it.”

“Pepper,” he said with a curt nod, “I guess Tony forgot to mention that I’d planned on attending in any case.”

“Oh, did he now,” Pepper shook her head almost imperceptibly and Darcy didn’t want to be in Tony’s shoes as soon as Pepper got a hold of him. It was clear that he would get a piece of her mind. Darcy knew that Pepper hated being left in the dark about things.

Pepper looked between the two of them. “Well, you two certainly look like you enjoyed yourselves,” she then said with raised eyebrows. “Far be it from me to spoil any fun you kids are having, but Darcy, I think it’s time to return to the tower. You okay with that?”

“Sure,” Darcy replied.

“Steve, can we give you a ride? Are you staying at the tower?”

“Yup, to both.”

Pepper called for their driver and they made their way to the exit. As soon as they were out of the room he took away his hand, which had been attached to her hip the past hours, and took a step away from her, putting a polite distance between them. While they waited Pepper was further detained by an old acquaintance, leaving Darcy and Steve by themselves. Suddenly the awkwardness was radiating from both of them in spades. Steve had pushed both his hands deeply into his pockets, rocked on the balls of his feet impatiently and looked at anybody but her while Darcy fiddled with her purse and eventually took her phone out to distract herself.

The ever efficient Jarvis had already sent her updates about the event to her phone in real time. Her inbox was now filled with coverage of her and Steve attending the ball together, which she scrolled through quickly.

“So much for the stories about my love life,” she mumbled to herself. “I should probably forward some of them to my mom for the family album.”

“Huh?” Steve looked at her questioningly.

“I’m keeping tabs on the coverage from the ball,” Darcy explained. “Jarvis sent the pictures to my phone.” She handed him her phone in lieu of any further explanation and he looked through the pictures quickly.

“Does that mean what I think it means?” Steve asked quietly, handing the phone back to her.

“If you mean that the very welcome rumours about our impending break up will come a halt?” Darcy said. “Then yes, you are correct. They came to a halt the moment we both stepped foot on the same red carpet. We might have come separately but by now everybody will think… _know_ that we attended the event together.”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I did not think of that. And now you will never get out of the spotlight because of me.”

“It’s not your fault,” Darcy objected immediately. “It was bound to happen. Our circle of friends is just too close and as you can see: They love to set us up. Sooner or later we would have been seen together anyway. At that point we might have already been broken up in the eyes of the press and the papers would have been full with the story about our tempestuous on-off relationship.”

“So we will forever be trapped in the media circle?” Steve said, clearly resigned. “Do you think they’ll report anything we told people tonight? Because I wasn’t thinking-”

“Whatever we told people,” Darcy interrupted him, “it can’t be any less true than the stories that were fabricated about us anyway.”

“Any political implications?” he continued his guilt trip. “We might have trolled some influential people…”

“We did, didn’t we?” Darcy said contemplatively. “But for what it’s worth: You made your appearance, we played the cutesy couple as expected. Everything else can still be attributed to our oddity as a couple. And: I had fun tonight. Who would have guessed that Captain America had such a snarky sense of humour?”

He looked at her in surprise and then started grinning. “Well, that’s a trait to keep hidden from the public as best as possible. Doesn’t fit well with rescuing kittens from trees and wrangling abandoned shopping carts on a supermarket parking lot, you know, the ‘image’.”

Darcy grinned back at him. “Also, the Jane Austen quote: Very well done.”

“Thanks.”

“Though I have to admit: Everybody kept telling me that you were a horrible liar.”

“Well, I am, actually,” he said with a shrug.

“Um, what was the last three hour then? Your evil twin? You hit your head? Mind controlled by Mr Evil du jour?”

He snorted at that. “Oh, no, that was just messing with people’s heads.”

Darcy shook her head at him. “Captain America, first class troll, unbelievable.”

“Again: doesn’t go well with the public image.”

They stood next to each other in silence for a few more moments, less awkward now, but still not wholly comfortable in each other’s presence.

“For what it’s worth, I was having a blast,” Darcy finally said with a decisive nod. “What we did was probably the most fun you can have when you are in a totally fabricated tabloid relationship.”

~*~

**_Steve Rogers Fan Forum_ **

**theblueshield  
** Admin | 10,937 posts

Registered: Jan 27, 2007  
Location: Boston, MA

| 

Governor’s Ball

| 

Posted today, 2:43 am  
  
---|---|---  
  
Photos of the event can be found **here**. All pictures containing the Captain and/or Darcy are in a special gallery I put up **here**.  
  
**4thofjuly  
** Member | 2,309 posts

Registered: Sep 26, 2012  
Location: it's a secret

| 

Re: Governor’s Ball

| 

Posted today, 2:47 am  
  
**This is my favourite shot of the event**. Even though they were basically inseparable throughout the evening (articles mention this **here** , **here** and **here** ) my favourite picture of the Captain and Darcy is from the end of the night while they were waiting at the entrance (for their driver I presume) and the couple seemed to enjoy a private joke. Look at those two grinning at each other, the lovesick idiots that they are.  
  
**greenanddangerous  
** Member | 3,778 posts

Registered: Mar 3, 2013  
Location: Düsseldorf, Germany

| 

Re: Governor’s Ball

| 

Posted today, 2:59 am  
  
They look beautiful. Cap’s tux is bespoke, I’d say (I think that nothing but custom tailoring can hug the shoulder-to-waist-ratio the way _that_ suit does) and I think Darcy is wearing De la Renta, probably from that well-publicized shopping trip with Pepper a few weeks ago.  
  
**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first icon is from [shieldsexual](http://shieldsexual.tumblr.com/icons), the other two I made myself from 1. screencaps from CATWS and 2. A-Babies v. X-Babies by Scottie Young.


	15. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you see that the amazing, talented queenoffrizz made [a cover for my story](http://queenoffrizz.tumblr.com/post/130556075949/we-are-dominated-by-journalism-the-tyranny)? It's seriously amazing! Go ahead and give her some virtual hugs? I might have screamed, because it's so awesome
> 
> Also, seriously guys: Would you be interested in a nicely formatted pdf version of this story once it's complete? Let me know!

### Chapter 14

**The Captain & Darcy – Still together!**

Amidst increasing speculation about their impending break-up the Captain and Darcy finally made a very welcome public appearance together quelling rumours for the time being.

“They are not breaking up,” a friend of the couple went on record to deny all the coverage that had gotten increasing momentum the last days and weeks. “Darcy and Steve, they still have to figure things out, they come from a very different backgrounds after all. That doesn’t mean that they won’t make it.”

“They tried not to make a fuss about it,” another source close to the couple says, “but they attended the Governor’s ball together and they had fun together and that’s all that matters.”

Indeed, the coverage of the event and eyewitnesses confirm that while the two walked the red carpet separately and tried to make it appear as if Pepper Potts had taken Darcy along, they spend the majority of the evening together, being all cutesy and couple-y.

Looks like the break-up watch is over!

~*~

Steve’s inbox the next morning was filled to the brim with updates from Jarvis about his (and Darcy’s) press coverage from the previous night. So they had both been right: Any rumours about the end of their relationship had come to an immediate halt. As a matter of fact, the gist of the articles through which he skimmed quickly was that apparently the two of them had never been cuter with each other and were becoming even more serious in their relationship.

He sighed deeply and then decided to talk to Darcy about this first thing. He asked Jarvis to locate her but the AI told him that Darcy wasn’t awake yet, so Steve decided to make use of the gym at the tower and exercise and talk to Darcy afterwards. But after he’d gone through his exercise regimen and wanted to find Darcy again, Jarvis told him that she had gone out to attend an early morning class on campus.

But apparently Darcy was also of a mind to have a discussion about all of this and searched him out in the library before lunch. She dropped down heavily onto the love seat opposite of him. "So, how do you want to play this?" she started without preamble.

He closed his book and looked at her questioningly. “What do you mean?”

“Do you want to clear out the air between us first or do you want to talk strategize about our media portrayal?”

He straightened up and looked at her intently. “Clean out the air first.”

“I was hoping you were going to say that. Because I really want to apologize for slapping you. I didn’t-”

“Hey, it was well-deserved,” Steve interrupted her immediately. “I behaved horribly and everything you said to me was true. So yeah, I’m sorry for being a prime asshole to you ever since I first met you.”

“Well, I misjudged you horribly,” Darcy said with a shrug.

“Same,” Steve agreed.

“And then I antagonized you and said things I shouldn’t have said-”

“Me too.”

“And at this point it’s probably for the best if we could start all over again.” She looked at him expectantly.

“You practically took the words right out of my mouth. But it’s not your fault, it’s all mine. So I’m sorry that you felt the need to apologize, I didn’t mean to guilt trip you at all. And I should thank you because you made me learn a hard lesson.”

Darcy snorted at that. “Because I couldn’t discern the difference between Steve Rogers and Captain America? Really, I kind of wanted to punch myself for not seeing that you were human behind the whole myth thing.”

Steve shook his head at that. “No worries, no need to beat yourself up about this. That happens all the time. But you were actually brutally honest-”

“Emphasis on brutal,” Darcy threw in.

“And trying to show me the error of my ways.” Darcy didn’t look entirely convinced, so Steve continued: “Seriously, _my_ whole opinion about you was really skewed and I have seldom misjudged a person so thoroughly in my life. So thanks for putting my head right. Most people don’t even dare to question me these days. Most people outside my immediate circle,” he clarified when he saw Darcy’s confused look.

“You are welcome?” Darcy then said, sounding unsure of herself.

“And on another note,” Steve continued, “while you behaved admirably during this whole media whirlwind, I am still really sorry that you were subjected to it in the first place.”

“Well, the tabloid industry is really not your fault,” Darcy pointed out with a smile. “They have a tendency to… misinterpret things.”

“True. But now we are subjected to the yellow press anyway. We are subjected to a whole lot of issues I would never have expected this time last year and we are lucky to have you on board,” he stated with a decisive nod. “Supporting us.”

Darcy actually blushed at that. “Thanks,” she just said. “So, can we agree that we both behaved like idiots, are very sorry about everything and now bygones be bygones and all that?”

“You mean start over?” Steve clarified.

“Yeah, that would be nice,” Darcy said wistfully. “So, clean slate?”

Steve grimaced at that. “I doubt it’s ever going to be clean… not with all the stuff going on around us.”

Darcy looked pensive for a moment. “True… Do you have the feeling that our common friends are-” Darcy trailed off, probably searching for the right expression.

“Conspiring against us?” Steve offered.

“Yeah.”

“They definitely are. Clint said – and I quote – ‘that we kind of ship you guys’ and all that. An analogy to Shakespeare was involved.”

“Oh god,” Darcy groaned, putting her face in her hands.

“And about yesterday specifically: I suspected that you would be attending but I wasn’t told a thing and since Clint and Tony and even Sam have been pestering me about you all the time and then didn’t mention a thing I assumed that maybe you wouldn’t be there. Their silence should have been a warning sign, I guess,” Steve said with a shrug.

Darcy looked up at him and sighed. “Well, as you know, your appearance took me completely by surprise.”

“Sorry about that.”

“Again: not your fault. And I said that you should return to New York. But I wouldn’t have suspected our friends’… flair for the dramatic.”

“Yes, we are destined to be together,” Steve commented, deadpan. “The media wants it, our friends want it – but nobody asks us.”

Darcy observed him calculatingly for a moment. “We can still outwit them,” she then said, much to Steve’s surprise.

“What do you mean?”

“We have the same circle of friends. We live in the tower. We will work together,” Darcy explained. “We don’t need to be strangers or lovers or indifferent acquaintances. We can be friends.”

“And don’t care what all the others are thinking?” Steve asked.

“And don’t care what all the others are thinking,” Darcy repeated with a nod.

“I’d like that,” Steve said with a grin that Darcy immediately mirrored.

“Though,” Darcy said after a moment, “I feel like I should point out some of the consequences: being friends only works in our private life. You know what is going to happen when we are seen together in public, even as friends, right?”

“We are seriously dating and headed for the altar next week, yes,” Steve said solemnly. “And some other stuff, too.”

“That’s putting it very mildly.”

“Is that going to be a problem for you?” Steve asked, concerned.

“At the risk of jinxing myself, it really can’t get any worse,” Darcy pointed out.

“Are you sure?” Steve wanted to make sure. “It really has disrupted your life. Don’t you want to date anybody for real? Do you have a crush but it’s all for naught because everybody thinks you are in a relationship with me?”

“Nope.” Darcy shook her head. “What about you? Anybody special?”

Steve just shook his head as well.

“Too busy?” Darcy prodded.

His lips twitched, thinking of the conversation he’d had with Natasha what felt like eons ago. “Too busy,” he just agreed.

“But you can totally use me as the jealous girlfriend to get rid of... unwelcome advances,” Darcy offered.

“That’s kind of… nice.”

“Just extending the favour. Trust me, I’m taking full advantage of this at some point in the future. I can be like: 'I'm still very good friends with my ex. You know, Captain America, the jaw of American righteousness.’”

Steve laughed at that. “That is very clichéd, too. Fake relationship for the press and all for our mutual gain?”

“The difference being that we didn’t actively fake anything,” Darcy pointed out. “It was never our idea and now we are just not correcting people’s perceptions any more. I mean I had no idea that we were totally in love. But then I read it in the papers so it must be true,” she said cheekily.

“Are you really okay with this?” Steve asked, one eyebrow raised in surprise at her nonchalant attitude. “Being bandied about in the tabloids as my girlfriend? And then fiancée? Wife? Or possibly harridan of an ex-girlfriend?”

“I hate to break it to you, but that’s happening anyway, whether I’m okay with it or not.”

“But you used to be so angry about it. What changed?” Steve wanted to know.

Darcy thought for a moment. “It’s mainly a thing my mom told me: Why should the tabloids matter? They have disrupted my life enough already, I’ll just continue my life and don’t care about the papers. At this point I’ll just have to accept it and not let the outside influences make my decisions for me.”

Steve hummed approvingly. “That’s actually a very healthy attitude.”

“Took me a while to get there,” Darcy confessed. “And then I’ll probably never understand why people can find it interesting where I buy my groceries or something.”

“So, the stories about the two of us…?” Steve wanted to clarify.

“We’ll just have to deal with the coverage and not let it influence us. We cannot escape the story telling about the two of us anyway.”

“You don’t want to orchestrate an actual fake relationship? Just for the tabloids?” Steve grinned.

“I would have to rely on you for that, you are probably the expert. I mean: you did covert operations? Did you ever have to… fake a relationship for your work?” Darcy wanted to know.

“I didn’t really do these kinds of missions,” Steve explained. “Natasha and Clint could probably tell you a _lot_ about that. But then: Natasha told people that I was her fiancé when we were on the run from SHIELD last year and I had to play along. At some point there was kissing involved. I was terrible at it.”

“At kissing or at pretending?”

“Both I’m afraid.”

“So no fake romantic relationship for us,” Darcy declared.

~*~

**News roundup: Week 42 after SHIELD**

Sen. Richardson was overheard at the beginning of the week that she would rather shoot herself in the foot than to endure another week of CIA, NSA or NRO officials blowing their own horn. She’s right, too. At this point most of the attendants would rather claw out their eardrums with a salad fork than to hear another set of white old men congratulating themselves on their political astuteness in the wake of the SHIELD drama.

But then some pointed remarks were made about Captain America having to appear pretty soon and that the anniversary of the fall of SHIELD would be very soon. In the pressroom the common consensus is that the powers are waiting – for the dramatic effect – to hear the First Avenger on the first anniversary.

~*~

They didn’t become friends over night but there was a noticeable shift in the atmosphere afterwards. The air at the tower was definitely less charged now and felt more communal, especially now that all Avengers – except Natasha Romanoff – were residing together. Communal meals and other activities now went with more teasing and joking around, even more on the days when other people – like Sam, Rhodey and/or Maria – joined them. At first Darcy felt guilty that her past squabbles with Steve had influenced the mood that badly, but she quickly got over it when she noticed that nobody held anything against them and were quite happy that the two seemed to get along better the more time passed.

Darcy and Steve both made a concerted effort to get to know each other instead of falling back into old habits of cold politeness. By some unspoken agreement, nobody talked about what had happened between them in the past and she was quite glad about that. She wasn’t really sure what she wanted to share with her friends, not only because she was unsure how her friendship with Steve would develop but also because she had the suspicion that their friends were still trying to conspire against them behind their backs. She asked herself how much self-restraint it took for Tony and Clint not to mention anything. But then, Tony might have gotten the scolding of his life from Pepper about orchestrating their meeting at the ball, which would hopefully keep all of them from blatant meddling for a while.

The Captain was visibly more involved and Darcy could tell that Maria made a lot of headway with their Avengers project. More often than not she would see him around on their floor, going in and coming out of meetings and he held a lot of conversations with all their teammates about strategy and fight techniques, but especially Tony, who as she’d noticed whenever she went down to the labs was working on improving the team’s tech and outfits.

So far Darcy was being kept out of the loop, though. She still had no clue what missions the group had taken on in the past ever since SHIELD had fallen, most importantly that one mission that had kept the Captain away from the tower during the time when their whole tabloid love affair had taken place. She was also still in the dark about what exactly had led him to Europe in December. He continued to ignore the political outcry for an official statement from his side and refused to publicly comment on the SHIELD situation. Darcy decided to give him until the start of her spring break until she broached the subject again.

In the meantime Darcy – when she was not attending class – kept busy with keeping close tabs on the public and political issues and eased into her new responsibilities slowly. It was suspiciously quiet on the political front, but she didn’t expect it to last, not with the very pointed remarks being made in the Senate subcommittee. On the public relations issue she was still strategizing with Pepper and they were currently trying to determine how to satisfy the curiosity about the Avengers’ private life without them having to sacrifice most of their privacy.

It was clear that the Avengers were expected to make public appearances both as a group and separately. Once Darcy had it organized in a way that all the invitations were centralized and sent to her desk, she realized that the most visible members of the team – Tony and Steve – were invited to almost everything. She began weeding through all of the invites and made a note to talk to everybody individually to find out what they were ready to attend and what not and if they had special causes they wanted to champion.

On the day she wanted to talk to Steve though, she couldn’t find him. She had waited to come across him during the morning – and then started to actively search him out during the afternoon, but he had disappeared someplace. She knew from Maria that he hadn’t vanished for some hush-hush Avengers business and she learned from Jarvis that he was at the tower, but he couldn’t tell her about the Captain’s whereabouts since he was not to be disturbed. Curious she went down to the labs to find out if Tony or Bruce knew what was going on.

“So, you are all assembled,” Darcy stated, when she found Clint in the labs with Bruce and Tony as well, looking over schematics for his arrows. “Can you tell me where Steve is? Jarvis said he’s not to be disturbed. I haven’t seen him all day and I’m trying to find him to talk about a publicity thing.”

“He’s in the gym, probably destroying the equipment,” Tony just said.

“Why would he do that?” Darcy asked with a confused look.

“Today is March 10th,” Bruce said in lieu of an explanation.

“And?” Darcy looked at him expectantly.

“Bucky Barnes was born on this day in 1917.”

“Oh,” Darcy drew out the sound. “So that’s what it is.”

“He’s probably taking out whatever feelings he has on the punching bag, the treadmill or something,” Tony said with a shrug.

“So you just let him grieve all alone? What did he do last year?”

“He was on a mission with me,” Clint provided, “and only noticed afterwards. I know he went to Arlington cemetery once we’d returned to DC but I don’t know what else he did since he was off duty for two days after the successful mission.”

“And you have not considered doing anything? This year or last year?” Darcy asked the three men pointedly.

“You know how Steve is,” Tony said with a shrug.

“Actually I don’t,” Darcy felt forced to point out.

“He gets caught up in his head sometimes and this year it’s even more difficult because of-” Tony stopped abruptly.

“Because of what?” Darcy wanted to clarify.

“Because of what happened last May,” Bruce explained with a pointed look at Tony.

“So it’s a legacy thing?” Darcy asked. “He lost his friend in a fight with an enemy that reappeared last year? Both he and Bucky Barnes died for nothing? He’s grieving because he’s so very alone?”

“It’s not that simple,” Bruce just said. “And it’s not our place to say.”

“But we can still do something, right? And not let him fall into that pit of despair and brooding?”

“Hey, you are probably the only one willing to take it up with the Captain when he’s in a _mood_ ,” Tony offered. “So be my guest, try to get him to talk about his feelings.”

“God, you are such macho men sometimes. I’m not trying to get him to talk about his feelings; I’m talking about distracting him. And you know what, I’m going to do just that.”

~*~

Steve hadn’t meant to be mopey on Bucky’s birthday, but then on the day itself he couldn’t avoid it. He got pitiful glances from Tony during early breakfast that morning and then from Clint when he met him at the shooting range later, which had made him disappear into the gym and avoid all contact entirely for the next few hours.

He knew he was being selfish and morose but he allowed himself to wallow in his own self-pity for a day, even though he had been doing well, especially after the scolding Sam had given him not long ago about shirking his duties and hiding behind his ill-fated attempts to find his best friend. But today was different, because today _was_ – instead of _would have been_ – Bucky’s 98 th birthday and he’d hoped they could’ve celebrated it together instead of him barely getting his mopey ass out of New York and Bucky being somewhere in the world, avoiding all contact with him. He would resume his duties tomorrow. Until then it was better to aim for physical exhaustion than to think about the whole mess any further or to endure his friends’ awkward glances.

After running for hours and then making use of the punching bags, he was in the process of unwrapping his hands and trying to decide which activity to take up next when Darcy appeared right in front of him. "Come on, Captain Pity Party,” she said without preamble. “I'm taking you out."

“What?” he said, wiping sweat from his brow.

“Do you still have that list?”

“What list?” he repeated uncomprehendingly.

“Where you write everything down, stuff you have to catch up on. It was mentioned in the Ben O’Malley article.”

He stared at her, breathing heavily. “It’s in my bag,” he then said, gesturing to it.

“You mind?”

He just shook his head mutely. Darcy rummaged through his bag without any further words and found his notebook within seconds. She whooped in triumph and skimmed through it quickly.

“Dude, you haven’t had Thai food yet? That’s a travesty. We have to rectify that immediately. Shower and change, I’m taking you out.”

“Wha-?” Steve said confusedly.

“Get changed,” Darcy ordered impatiently. “I’m not letting you wallow here on your own no matter what the guys are saying. I’m taking you out of that pit of gloom and despair and will provide free of charge distraction for the next few hours. Don’t make me order you, Captain.”

Steve frowned at her for a moment. “Okay,” he then just said.

“You have 15 minutes,” Darcy just said. “We’ll meet in our shared hallway. I’m counting,” she added with a shooing motion towards the elevator.”

When he returned from the shower in fresh clothing to pick up Darcy, she was already waiting for him, leaning casually against the wall next to his door, phone in hand.

“Yelp helped me find a place with good reviews not far from here. I’d suggest a walk if you are up for it?”

“Won’t you be cold? And what about paparazzi?”

“I don’t mind if you don’t mind,” Darcy said with a shrug. “Also, you’ll be the one who’s going to be approached by fans and being asked for pictures.”

“I don’t mind taking a walk,” Steve just said.

“Good,” Darcy nodded approvingly. “I’ll get my coat and my hat, so should you.”

Darcy maintained a constant stream of chatter both during their walk and their meal, regaling him with stories about her time at Culver and the strange stories that were made up about Dr Banner’s disappearance after everything that had happened at the university (way before Darcy’s time there). She had him laughing openly with her story of meeting Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg and the Lady Sif in New Mexico for the first time. And when she was finished with that she told him about all the crazy things Jane had done in the pursuit of science.

They were only interrupted two times when other guests approached him to ask for a photo with him, which Steve didn’t mind. Darcy reacted first with teasing and then with good humour and even offered to take the pictures herself. She declined to be pictured with him together, though.

They briefly squabbled about the bill because Darcy insisted on paying because she had promised him to take him out for distraction and refusing to take his money out of some old-fashioned sense of obligation. In the end he let Darcy have it.

They walked back together in silence.

“Thanks,” Steve finally said when they arrived back at the entrance to the tower.

“For what?”

“For not asking about Bucky.” She was one of the few persons close to him who didn’t even know the whole story, whose second, depressing act had only started last May. At some point he needed to tell her, Steve realised, but not tonight, after she had successfully taken his mind off the whole thing.

“Hey,” Darcy said casually, “if you don't want to talk about it, don't talk about it. I know what happens if I try to force you into any kind of disclosure. And while you are certainly allowed to have your mopey moments, I felt that today was better to have some company to take your mind off things.”

“It was, thanks again. And I can cross out another thing from my list.”

“I know, right! What else is on it again? Because I like exploring the city, so this was a good excuse for going out. It was fun,” Darcy stated decisively.

“Even though we’ll be heavily featured on social media and in the papers tonight and tomorrow?”

“I think that cat is pretty much out of the bag,” Darcy said with a shrug. “I knew that going in. And as I said before: We shouldn’t care what other people are saying or thinking.”

“And even though I wasn’t really good company for most of the meal?” Steve added.

“Don’t ruin it, Rogers,” Darcy said, smiling. “I thought we’d finished the pity party hours ago. It was fun.”

They were silent during the short elevator ride to their floor.

“And any time you want to be better company and go exploring, let me know and I’ll probably be up for it,” Darcy offered when they arrived by her door. “I haven’t seen enough of New York since I moved here.”

“I might take you up on that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I've mentioned it before, but there is [a cover for this :D](http://queenoffrizz.tumblr.com/post/130556075949/we-are-dominated-by-journalism-the-tyranny)


	16. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am super stuck on chapter 18, I’ve probably rewritten it 5 times by now... don’t worry, in the meantime I managed to write further until chapter 23, but still, chapter 18 irks me... So I'm posting chapter 15, maybe that’ll motivate me...
> 
> Thanks to [my fandom life partner Fiora-Miriel](http://fiora-miriel.tumblr.com/) for the help in this chapter. The conversation Darcy has with her mom was majorly influenced by her input.

### Chapter 15

Melanie Atwood @mellywood

The Captain and Darcy are in line in front of me at the @metmuseum #MadameCezanne #CapSpotting

Tom The Doctor @timelordtom

The Captain and Darcy are at the @NYCComedyCellar tonight #CapSpotting

Rupert Owen @Ruperthimself

Just saw the Captain and Darcy at the flea market #CapSpotting She’s a prime haggler, he’s amused

NY Public Library @nypl

Surprise visit from #CaptainAmerica today, who renewed his membership. Become a sponsor like him: [on.nypl.org/1G33Hlm](http://www.nypl.org/support/membership/friends-library)

Perhaps I am @h1ll1b1lly

Interviewed at Stark Tower today. Afterwards ran into the Captain and Darcy at the entrance, almost fainted #CapSpotting

J.Mason @Honorable1

Did the Captain and Darcy wake up from hibernation or something? Suddenly they are everywhere #CapSpotting

~*~

It didn’t take Steve that long to ask. The next week they went to the Met together to catch the Cézanne exhibition on its last day. They remained mostly unspotted in the large crowd of visitors, with only a handful of people trying to inconspicuously take a photo with their phone or asking for a picture outright.

They went on several other excursions afterwards, whatever caught their fancy and whenever they had some free time on their hands. On most of their outings they were spotted by either fans or other visitors or paparazzi. In the first two cases their visit would almost always blow up social media for the next few hours. When they were followed by paparazzi they could be certain that their appearance would be featured on the celebrity blogs and certain national newspapers during the next days.

Some places – like the New York Public Library – asked if they could use the Captain’s visit for publicity, for which Steve was very happy to oblige. Nevertheless at some point both Darcy and Steve began calling it a little success if their outings did not make headlines in any way.

Darcy had the additional pleasure of explaining the situation to her parents once again.

“Mom-” Darcy began her phone conversation.

“My dearest daughter, I was kind of waiting for you to call.”

Darcy sighed deeply. “So you’ve seen it?” she then asked.

“All the coverage involving you and the nation’s favourite superhero? Of course I’ve seen it. I know how the internet works. And even if I hadn’t seen it, people are so happy to point it out to me.”

“Have you and or Dad had any problems?”

“Oh, no, not really,” her mother answered cheerfully. “Same old, same old. Except a little bit of a breakdown in the relationship with my admin?”

“What?” Darcy asked confusedly.

“You know, Debbie from the office. She’s hiding her tabloids from me now that you are in them more often than not. She thinks she’s being subtle in covering them as soon as I appear, but she isn’t. It’s not that I mind, right? She could make a Steve and Darcy scrapbook from her newspaper clippings for all I care. As long as she has fun?”

“Right,” was Darcy’s only reaction.

“But you haven’t called to tell me that, have you?” her mother asked after a moment of silence.

“No, I just wanted to keep you in the loop.”

“Why, is there something the papers are not reporting about? Have you eloped? You are expecting twins? Terrible, acrimonious break-up?”

“No!” Darcy objected immediately. “We are not a couple.”

She could hear her mom putting something away in the background. “Say again?”

“We might appear on a few more pictures together. In public, fully aware that we were photographed, but it still means nothing.”

“But why?” her mother sounded honestly confused.

“Well, I’m kind of friends with him now?” Darcy offered.

“Oh,” her mother drew out the sound, “so you two have made up, that’s so nice!”

“That’s not exactly the word I would use, but still. We will probably be seen a lot more together and the speculation will continue, but I just wanted to reiterate that none of it is true.”

“Do you want it to be true?” her mother asked.

“No!” Darcy protested immediately.

“Okay, just checking. Because we’ve all seen these Hollywood movies and know how this might end.”

“Moooooooom!” Darcy wailed.

“What? Following Hollywood logic you’ll end up together with at least two children and a dog. After some serious pining and general confusion though,” she added as an afterthought. “And he would nobly sacrifice himself at some point, you know getting hurt trying to save you from some generic bad guys and you would realize the depth of your feelings for him.”

At the other end of the line Darcy was rendered speechless and silently shook her head before she realized that her mother couldn’t see that.

“And then obviously you would think that he doesn’t reciprocate your feelings,” her mother continued her story, “but of course he does but he’s cautious because he doesn’t want to endanger you, the noble sacrificial lamb that Captain America obviously is. Meanwhile you’d drown yourself in work and maybe make some miserable calls to your parents. Maybe throw yourself a pity party with Jane and a large bottle of wine. And then his friends have to interfere seeing how miserable the two of you obviously are.”

Her mom was silent for a moment.

“You done?” Darcy dared to ask.

“Well, I have another dozen or so movie clichés to check off but you get the message. In the end the stars align and everything falls into place and happily ever after and all.”

“Whatever you say, mother,” Darcy just commented dryly.

“Well, if this were a story I’d suggest you better save yourself the hassle and heartbreak and run up to him and confess your eternal love right now.”

~*~

“And I’m telling you,” Darcy said, “you cannot swoop in trying to save the world anymore; you guys are not the world police. Hence we need to figure out how to proceed in the future, we need to legitimize this whole operation.”

They were three minutes into a meeting and already in a deep discussion about jurisdiction and how the Avengers would react to another threat considering that in the wake of SHIELD’s destruction they didn’t really have any reason to intervene anymore.

It had already been a major point of discussion between Darcy and Maria, but now they had invited Pepper and all the Avengers currently present at the tower along. Ultimately of the latter group only Tony and Steve had showed up. Bruce had excused himself stating that he wasn’t interested in politics and would be content if the other guy didn’t have to make any political statement. Clint had declined with the message that the bigwigs should sort it out between themselves and he was along for the ride in any case and Thor had declared that with Darcy’s superior knowledge of Midgardian politics and diplomacy his presence wasn’t needed but he would gladly attend if intergalactic diplomacy were up for discussion.

Darcy with her political perspective insisted that it was a very sensitive area where rush decisions and well-meant intervention without consulting anybody would do more harm than good.

“How did you proceed in Bruges?” Pepper asked Steve. “Because it worked out okay, didn’t it?”

“We just called the police once we’d caught the guy,” he answered.

“And their reaction?”

“Not amused,” Steve shrugged, “but at that point they couldn’t do anything, really. It was a fait accompli anyway. I think we appear in the report as ‘concerned citizens reporting an irregularity’.”

“You stepped on their turf without informing them,” Darcy commented. “That’s a political minefield.”

“So, what were we supposed to be doing?” Steve asked.

“Well, the _polite_ thing is to announce your intentions and cooperate every step of the way,” Darcy said pointedly. “And step away before the arrest and let the local law enforcement have most of the credit. Then they can mention how great you were at helping and cooperating.”

“I get this,” Maria agreed, “on another note though: Bruges might not be a good example. Belgian police might be okay to cooperate with, but what if you operate in a country where you cannot trust the system, because it’s too corrupt?"

“Then they probably won't complain about our interference,” was Tony’s deadpan reply.

Darcy threw him a dark look. “It’s still a threat to their sovereignty and a lot more dangerous in politics. Because then you can be a scapegoat. Politicians declaring that ‘those terrible American imperialists thinking they know everything better, having no respect for the way we do things around here’. You guys really don’t want to be used for local political propaganda. You should cooperate with somebody on this; find a common interested party. But in general you cannot just swoop in to save the day anymore. You have no official backing and at some point you might be considered unwelcome – to put it mildly.”

“Care to explain further, Darcy?” Tony asked.

“Let’s just say that some supernatural shit hits the fan in Copenhagen tomorrow,” Darcy explained. “Denmark is part of the NATO, article 5 requires NATO member states to come to the aid of another member state in case of an attack, so the US as a fellow NATO member would have to react – cue Avengers assemble.”

“But for that you need government ties,” Steve stated.

“Exactly.” Darcy nodded. “You cannot just jump in on your own because officially you have no ties to the US government or to any other government or the UN or whatever supranational institution. The Danes in my example might be grateful at first, but it’s still a threat to their sovereignty if you just arrive uninvited. As I said: you guys are not the world police.”

“And none of the other NATO member states would be impressed,” Steve said.

“Precisely. And if you continue to behave in that way: At some point you will be considered a threat.”

“Because our interference might be considered an attack on a NATO country,” Steve added.

“Now you are getting there,” Darcy nodded.

“And attacking one of them is attacking all of them,” Maria said.

“And you really don’t want to be on NATO’s bad side,” Pepper finished.

They were silent for a moment. “So we should liaise with official institutions,” Steve stated finally.

“You can also be soldiers for hire,” Darcy said, “contractors, you know, but liaising has more elegance – also in the matter of and damage and liability control.”

“Good point, we can only pay for so much damage to major cities out of our own pockets,” Tony grinned.

“But isn’t liaising going to be difficult?” Pepper asked. “We all follow the mudslinging in congress. Being close to SHIELD, close to the Avengers is basically political suicide at this point.”

“Then we have to go through backchannels,” Maria just said. “Thankfully I still have a few. Darcy and I have been working on establishing communications behind closed doors.”

“We were thinking of being nice first,” Darcy added, “basically offering your services and get a foot into the door. And once you’ve established yourself as trustworthy you have more leeway too. But that’s going to take a while.”

“Why do I have the feeling that you two decided it together and just got us to agreeing to everything you wanted?” Steve asked, looking between the two.

“Well,” Darcy grinned at Maria, “we wanted to get you all on the same page.”

“Which means,” Maria continued seriously, “no more rushing in head first like you are known to do. You clear everything with us first. We are going to make the Avengers a respected international non-profit rapid response team.”

~*~

“Do you dance?” Darcy was waiting for Steve at his door in the morning for him to return from his morning run which he had taken up again now that New York finally began to melt after a very hard winter.

“No,” Steve said simply, opening the door and letting both him and Darcy inside. He went to the kitchen and took a drink out of the fridge. Darcy followed him, while taking a cursory glance around and Steve realised that despite all the time they had actually spent together out and about, this was the first time she was in his apartment. He had yet to see how Darcy lived on the other side of the hallway.

Darcy looked at him, one eyebrow raised. “Okay, let me rephrase it: Can you dance?”

Steve looked at her warily, not sure where this was going. “It’s a great way to talk uninterrupted and away from prying ears. Also, to change position in a room without raising too much attention.”

Darcy frowned at him for a moment. “Okay… I didn’t ask for the full spy syllabus. So SHIELD had you trained in the fine art of the waltz and the foxtrot and the like?”

Steve just nodded.

“And have you retained any of it?”

“I learn everything faster and remember stuff seemingly forever thanks to the serum, what do you think?”

“Well, I think that this conversation is like pulling teeth. Is there anything wrong with me asking about dancing?”

Steve sighed. “No… just… I don’t know.”

“So it is kind of a touchy subject,” Darcy stated. “Do you want me to shut up about it already?”

“No, it’s fine!” Steve protested immediately. “It’s just, back in the day-” he trailed off.

“You didn’t really have much time to go dancing?” Darcy finished for him.

“Yeah, and then… I’m pretty sure you’ve read my files,” Steve hedged.

“Actually I try to stay away from those.”

“Well, I was supposed to go dancing with Peggy before I crashed the plane into the ice and we never got our dance.”

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry!” Darcy started to apologize immediately, blushing furiously. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories! I’m just going to-”

“No, it’s fine,” Steve interrupted her.

“I’m pretty sure it’s not! God, I’m such an idiot. I should’ve shut up and-”

“Darcy,” Steve interrupted her again and looked at her earnestly. “I didn’t tell you this to make you feel bad about your behaviour, no harm done. I wanted you to know because by now I consider you a friend and you deserve to know.”

Darcy closed her mouth with a snap. “Okay, but please tell me if I’m hurting your feelings or something. I tend to forget that you carry around a whole bag of issues we mere mortals couldn’t even fathom to begin to understand.”

Steve smiled at that. “I will.”

They were silent for a moment.

“So I’m pretty sure you had a good reason for asking me about dancing to begin with?” Steve then prompted.

“Oh yeah, there’s this function I wanted to know your feelings about. It’s-”

“Okay,” Steve interrupted her, “can I grab a quick shower first? Because by now I’m starting to become uncomfortable in this sweaty sports stuff.”

“Oh! Sure! I’ll wait and snoop around start to judge you by the content of your bookshelves.”

~*~

“Dude, your apartment is like army-neat,” Darcy declared when he returned 10 minutes later. “That’s terrible. It has zero personality.”

“I know. I don’t really live here.”

“And I’m not sure,” Darcy continued, “if I should be weirded out or actually impressed by the fact that you have the whole Sentinel of Liberty series by L.F. Gibson.”

“Yup, all 23 books about Lieutenant Liberty’s heroic and equally amorous adventures during World War II and beyond. Including his plucky sidekick Jim Mackintosh Monroe aka Macky and Agent Nancy Cartwright. That’s Tony’s doing,” Steve explained. “He must have spent a fortune on eBay for it.”

“ _Please_ , the books are probably from Tony’s private collection,” Darcy said. “Not that I have read any of these books, but the Lieutenant was a total heartthrob.

“Very popular with the ladies,” Steve nodded.

“Didn’t one of the USO girls turn out to be a super secret spy?”

“Hey, spoiler alert!”

“You know, he was kind of a douche,” Darcy grinned.

“A player.”

“A ladies’ man.”

“Philanderer.”

“But nevertheless,” Darcy declared mockingly, “a Beacon of Liberty.”

Steve nodded. “Spreading truth, justice and the American Way.”

Darcy laughed. “That’s Superman.”

“I know. So anything else you’ve discovered?”

“Nah, I didn’t really snoop around, too boring. Is there anything to discover except the total lack of personality?”

“Not really.” Steve shrugged. “I have a guest room. Sam crashes there, most of the time. And an office. And I have an art studio as well.”

“Oh, Tony really put some thought in that.” Darcy sounded impressed.

“Yup, Thor and Bruce share a floor because both their apartments are especially reinforced. And Clint and Nat, because Tony couldn’t bear to separate what he calls ‘the wonder twins’.”

Darcy flopped down on his couch and regarded him curiously for a moment. “Can I ask a personal question?”

Steve settled into armchair. “Be my guest.”

“Why don’t you live here? Why are you so reluctant to live in the tower?”

Steve thought for a moment and then tried to phrase his thoughts. “I don’t want to sound ungrateful, not when Tony has done so much here, but the tower… it’s like… like a bubble. It’s not that I don’t like the camaraderie and the friendships and the makeshift family thing, but it’s not for me, not permanently at least. At some point I need to move out and be my own person again.”

“Is that why you moved to DC?”

“Yes, mostly. And I had a good time, too. I enjoyed being in DC. Being surrounded by history that is older than myself,” he half-joked.

“Do you want to move back there?”

“Nah, I don’t think so. Too much of a New Yorker. Brooklyn born and raised.”

“So go and find a place in Brooklyn instead of treating this place so unfairly.”

“Yeah, at some point I will,” Steve said wistfully. “But I had a lot on my plate these past months.”

“If you want to check out places, let me know. I love looking at other people’s homes. Especially the ones I could never afford myself.”

They were silent for a moment. “It’s just,” Steve continued, “I’m so reluctant, because… I wish I could re-invent myself like Nat, just disappear, become a whole other person, but that’s not possible.”

“Captain America might wear a mask-cowl-thing but he is an international celebrity now,” Darcy said quietly. “And you could never have foreseen the international super stardom of the 21st century, with the internet and social media and all.”

Steve nodded. “Yes. And don’t get me wrong, I can go undetected for a while, but I cannot escape my fate and my reputation. And my responsibilities.”

“And of the first two was generated and quasi perfected while you were taking your ice nap,” Darcy added.

“Yup, my own story has escaped me, somehow,” Steve said thoughtfully. “You would know, because your own public story got written by the tabloids these past months.”

Darcy only nodded to this.

“And I know I am part of the Captain, too, and I went into the propaganda circus willingly, mostly at least, but these days… sometimes I’d really like to be my own person, imperfections and all.”

“Uneasy rest the shoulders that carry the shield?”

“More like uneasy rest the shoulders when I’m not carrying the shield, when I’m not the Captain with a capital letter, but Steve Rogers, actual human being.”

“Well, I can promise to treat you fully human, Captain Extraordinary. Mostly at least.”

“Which is what I’d like.” Steve nodded emphatically. “I mean, I also try to treat you like a human person, not like the elusive Darcy, devastatingly beautiful brunette that captured Captain America’s heart.”

Darcy laughed softly at that. “That almost sounds like a superhero’s intro.”

Steve grinned widely at her. “It does, doesn’t it? Anyway,” he cleared his throat, “should we come back to the thing you initially wanted to talk to me about?”

“Ugh, now I kind of feel horrible that I have to ask you to put on your public persona for an event.”

“It’s your job, no hard feelings. Public appearances are my job as well.”

“It’s the New York Historical Society. They are holding a thing in your honour.”

“They are?”

“Yup,” Darcy nodded. “Black tie and all.”

“Well, if it’s a thing for me, are they hoping that I’ll put in an appearance? Should I go?”

“It’s good publicity. And they are nice and a good organisation. I’d suggest you do it.”

“Okay, but why are you making a big deal about it?” Steve frowned at her. “Is there something special?”

“It’s just, I am going to be there. Pepper insists that I should attend. On my own, to learn and to-”

“Okay, sorry to interrupt, but putting the actual event aside for a moment. I try not to be suspicious about Pepper, but is that a thing? Is she into the group trying to match make? Because Tony and Clint and even Sam have been awfully quiet these past weeks.”

“I don’t know,” Darcy shrugged. “But then, we can deal with them easily enough right? We are still only going as friends. This is more about-”

“The fodder about our kind of fake but essentially tabloid generated relationship?” Steve suggested.

“Yeah, I wanted to make sure we are still on the same page about that. Because as much as we go out into town as friends, official events are still regarded differently.”

“Well, you are the expert. Whatever you are proposing, I’m game if you are game.”

“Okay, Captain Winghead,” Darcy grinned. “I’m always up for the challenge.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What Steve mentions here, that he is still grappling with the fact that 70 years later he’s suddenly a celebrity was one of the major points and was inspired by two soundbites from Chris Evans himself during the CATWS press tour: [Interview 1 (around the 3:50 mark)](http://www.tribute.ca/interviews/chris-evans-captain-america-the-winter-soldier/star/62503/) and [interview 2 (at the 1:45 mark)](https://youtu.be/Py0S-QEYw3Y?t=1m45s). Especially the second part, that it makes him suspicious, was something I referenced majorly, like, this is basically what the story is built on. 
> 
> Some other notes in inspiration:
> 
>   * I couldn’t figure out if this is legit, but [if the President’s cat is hounded by paparazzi that way](http://lukeskywalkvr.tumblr.com/post/130555035973/isabubbles-socks-bill-clintons-cat-being), imagine what happens to real celebrities...
>   * [Something from Taylor Swift about celebrity culture](http://taylorswift.tumblr.com/post/120496650375/newwromantiks-curiousswift-thebentley13) and how occasionally she refuses to take part in it.
>   * [These are **_SPOILER_** -y pics from the Cap 3 set including Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans.](http://shieldsexual.tumblr.com/post/119030337031) This is how I imagine some tabloids would generate stories, especially because they kind of look like they are holding hands in the third picture. 
> 

> 
> Also, yes there’s a reference to the AoU press tour in this chapter, if somebody might have stumbled upon it and was wondering about it. Extra brownie points for finding it! Also about AoU: That’s why Darcy talks about NATO, because the NATO reference in AoU was total BS and I’m still salty about it and had to set the record straight!


	17. Chapter 16

### Chapter 16

So despite prophesies that the relationship was doomed to fail the Captain and Darcy have made it well past their half-year anniversary (or their full year anniversary if you are among the people who believe the rumours that the two have been quietly dating since last March even though we got their first picture together only in September).

These days it almost seems that like the two have become the very public face of the Avengers somehow, with the social calendar they currently have. There is barely a week when the two of them are not attending some social event together, mostly representing the group as a whole, whereas the other Avengers fail to appear in public these days. Even Tony Stark’s rare public outings are strangely subdued these days.

But: I can’t be the only one who’s baffled about Darcy’s and the Captain’s weird behaviour. So we know that they are in a relationship, but they somehow refuse to acknowledge it? Obviously there’s never been an official statement from an Avengers spokesperson (if they even have such a person), but also during official events they behave… strange for the lack of a better word. Maybe we can chalk this up to odd couple-y behaviour from their part, but still, this irks me: They never arrive or leave together. They don’t walk the red carpet together even though we know that they are constantly in each other’s presence once they are inside. They don’t ever refer to each other as girlfriend/boyfriend/significant other.

Still, they are a couple, there is no denying their relationship, the cat is out of the bag, their apparent chemistry is off the charts, etc. Especially when there’s tons of paparazzi pics of the two of them doing normal couple-y things together and sometimes even being all over each other. I mean: have you seen the pictures of the Captain looking at her like she hung the moon? So their steadfast refusal to pose together at official events is not only a source of frustration it is also becoming ridiculous. They should just stop it and acknowledge every part of their relationship for what it is, both in public and in private.

~ Kayleen

~*~

“Okay, I have to ask,” Tony said while he fiddled around with the mechanics of Steve’s leather harness, “are you and Darcy, in a ‘truth is stranger than fiction’ moment, actually pretending to date now? You’ve been seen together an awful lot these past weeks.”

“Both in public and around the tower,” Bruce, who was standing next to Steve, observing Tony’s work, added.

Steve sighed deeply. It had only been a matter of time, he guessed. Their period of grace, probably bought by Pepper’s scolding after the Governor’s ball, was over. And because it was true: he and Darcy had become fast friends in the last few weeks and had done a lot of things together, both on their own time and for public events. He enjoyed exploring the town with her immensely. She was fun and easy going and had some crazy ideas for their free time.

By some stroke of fate – or maybe also by design – Steve had attended a lot of social functions, ranging from hospital openings to the premiere of the Battle of New York documentary, as well. And he had always taken Darcy along.

Only this past week he had actually seen less of her, because Darcy had finals coming up for which she studied a lot (“No Tony, already having a job does not want me to sacrifice my GPA, I have a reputation to uphold!”) and her job alongside Maria kept her very busy, which had only served to make him realize how much he missed going out with her.

“Nope, we are friends, sometimes we hang out together,” Steve answered with a shrug. “And we have decided we let the tabloids fabricate their own story and not let it affect us.”

“Well, the tabloids seem to think that you guys are totally in love with each other and that your chemistry is off the charts – which, as you may recall, **_I_** mentioned last year already,” Tony said smugly.

“Whatever the tabloids – or you, noted relationship expert Tony Stark – think: we are still not a couple.”

“So, why do you spend a lot of your free time with her and always take her along on official events?” Bruce asked.

“Because it’s nice, normal.” Steve thought for a moment. “And having Darcy around also means fewer persons throwing themselves at me.”

That was an added benefit. Having Darcy around meant a lot less attention from desperate gold-diggers (of all genders) trying to ensnare him. He had felt bad about it at first and told Darcy, who had laughed and told him that it was an advantage for her too: “Fewer people staring at my boobs or – even worse – trying to accost me because they don’t understand that clothing is not an invitation. As much as I like being my own person fully cable of defending myself, you simply giving them the trademarked Captain America scowly face is a lot easier.”

“That's awfully convenient and also awfully dangerous,” Bruce said without judgement.

“Trust me, I know what we are doing,” Steve nodded his head emphatically.

“Riiiiiiiiight,” Tony snorted. “I don’t think so.”

“What?” Steve narrowed his eyes at him.

“Because now that we see the pictures of you two practically daily and _all over each other_ , I kind of feel the need to give you the shovel talk.”

“Huh?” Steve stared at Tony.

“Because as much as we _all_ appreciate that you and Darcy get along so well: Do we need to have a talk about your intentions, Captain?”

Steve looked at Tony, eyebrows almost at his hairline. “You know that Darcy has a father, right?” he felt forced to point out. “He could do this.”

“Who is a lawyer,” Tony stated matter-of-factly. “What’s he going to do when you hurt his only daughter? Argue you to death? Pursue you to the full extent of the law? No, if you do anything to Darcy – again – I’m going to put on the suit and then we’ll go a few rounds. Like I threatened a few years back.”

“And afterwards Darcy is going to rip you both a new one because of that macho, sexist behaviour,” Bruce chimed in.

“That is true,” Steve agreed. “Because Darcy is her own person and can make her own decisions.”

Tony squinted at two of them for a second. “Okay, but maybe I should update the company wide fraternization rules. Just in case,” he nodded to himself.

“Tony, you are sleeping with the CEO,” Bruce pointed out.

“And? Rules are there to be broken.”

“And what makes you think that Steve would follow the rules? He’s not exactly known to be a rule follower,” Bruce said to which Steve nodded.

Tony looked between Bruce and Steve. “Ugh,” he then said, “you two are no fun! Thank god one of you has Darcy to loosen him up.”

“Who is Darcy loosening up?” Jane had stepped into Tony’s workshop at that exact same moment.

“Steve,” Tony said.

“But not in the way everybody thinks,” Bruce added.

“Thanks, Bruce,” Steve commented dryly.

“Oh, is this the point where I have to threaten to open up a wormhole under your couch, Steve, if you do anything to Darcy?” Jane asked conversationally.

Steve sighed again. “Well, that is actually more terrifying than Tony threatening me with his suit,” he then said.

“And less sexist,” Bruce added.

“Also, kudos for the conversational tone, Dr Foster,” Tony sounded impressed. “Not everybody threatens Captain America like it’s no big deal.”

“Well,” Jane said, “I care about my friend. And as a female scientist that worked her way up to the top in a field dominated by men I don’t really give a damn about gender roles,” she said with a pointed look at Tony.

“Point taken. You and Darcy, do whatever you like,” Tony said directed at Steve. “And if she’s wearing the pants in your relationship, even better. I have good experiences from that with Pepper. And we also were first friends and then lovers.”

~*~

Even though the Avengers’ levels in the tower were basically inhabited by insomniacs, nobody had ever happened upon Steve during his 3 in the morning boxing training on his many sleepless nights. That was until Darcy walked in on him a week after Tony’s failed attempt at the shovel talk.

Steve heard somebody entering the gym and stopping in their tracks.

“Couldn’t sleep?” he could then hear Darcy ask casually.

Steve turned around, lowering his fists slowly and took a deep breath. “Nope,” he then said, breathing heavily, “sometimes I’m just stuck in my own head…”

“And you don’t really need much sleep to begin with?” Darcy prompted.

“Depends really,” Steve said honestly.

“It does?” Darcy sounded surprised.

“Yes… Remember the day we first met, for real I mean?”

Darcy grimaced as an answer. “You mean our second meeting?”

Steve nodded. “I had just gone 78 hours without sleep, so I was a bit off my game. At that point I needed sleep.”

“Off your game?” Darcy repeated, eyebrows raised. ”I’m impressed you could still stand, let alone hold a conversation. But yeah,” she then added, “your situational awareness sucked. I managed to ambush you.”

Steve just shrugged. “Yeah, but then I only needed 4 hours of sleep to be at full form again.”

“Hhhm, do you ever sleep like… deeply?”

Steve thought for a moment. “Just after bone dead exhaustion or a major injury. Battle of New York… Being shot and almost drowning taking down the helicarriers in DC.”

“Is that a psychological thing or a serum thing?”

“To be honest, I don’t know.”

Darcy came standing next to Steve, watching him intently.

“What about you?” he asked. “What are you doing up at this godforsaken hour?”

“Well,” Darcy shrugged, “during exam time I’m pretty much a raging insomniac because there’s just so much to learn and then I’m having difficulties getting back into a normal rhythm for a few days. So I’m just wandering around the tower, taking in the silence.”

“That’s pretty hypocritical for somebody who used to nag the scientists to get as much sleep as possible.”

“Oh, you heard about that?” Darcy actually sounded smug at that.

“Plenty,” Steve nodded. ”People – by which I mean Tony – complained. And then he tried to tell me how endearing it was.”

Darcy grinned. “Ah, but trust me, you really don’t want scientists with access to dangerous chemicals, technology and other resources to have only a very limited amount of sleep.”

“True.”

Darcy sat down on the bench and watched Steve continue his training for another 15 minutes. Afterwards he sat down next to her on the bench and slowly started unwrapping his hands.

“Am I keeping you from anything, Darcy?” he decided to ask.

“Huh?” Darcy frowned at him, honestly confused.

“You are young, intelligent, good looking, kind, funny,” Steve clarified. “Do you have a crush on anybody? Do you want to date somebody? For real, I mean. Am I, or rather is this whole tabloid farce, keeping you from living your life? A normal life? I don’t want you to resent me later,” he added.

“Trust me, I won’t.”

“You sure?”

“Yes,” Darcy said with conviction. “I wanted to be normal, but this whole…” She stopped herself and thought for a moment. “My life has not been normal for a long time even before everything between us happened and I’ve only come to realize it slowly. I was in New Mexico, I was in London and then when SHIELD fell for most of the people it was just another… thing, another news item. Just another event in a line of events regarding public oversight. Normal people, they didn’t have to worry when all the SHIELD files were leaked that they were in there someplace, in relation to some supernatural – or whatever you want to call it – happenings. So no, I’m not going to resent you for pushing me into this. I was knee-deep into the Avengers’ business before I even met you and I’ve made the decision to stay myself.”

“Good, but don’t let me keep you. If you want out, we can just… fabricate our fake separation or something.”

“Oh please,” Darcy snorted. “I’m way ahead of you. If we’re ever going to fake break up, it’s totally going to be fake your fault. We are _not_ doing the ‘decided to remain friends’ thing. Our fake break up is going to be fake ugly.”

Steve laughed softly. “Ok, sounds fair.”

Darcy watched him in silence while he gathered his things. He could tell that she was thinking about something very hard. Her brow was furrowed in concentration and she was biting her lip.

“So,” she finally started their conversation again, “while we are at 3 in the morning personal questions, can I ask one as well?”

“Sure.”

“Don’t yell at me like the last time I brought this up, but why do you never talk about what happened in DC? The identity of your shooter remains a mystery to almost everyone – I’m sure you’ve told Sam and Clint and even Tony and such. But everybody else wants to know. Who is strong enough to shoot and take down the invincible Captain America? And I’m not trying to coax it out of you; I just want to know why you are keeping this a secret. Because usually you are all about honesty and integrity and doing the right thing.”

Steve wasn’t actually surprised by that question. He knew that Darcy had always wanted to know and he was kind of glad that she had asked because he had waited for an opportunity to tell her all about Bucky. By now she deserved to know, because he knew that he could trust her and it had never been fair to their other friends to keep such a thing from her to begin with.

“When we ran into each other at the Smithsonian, remember where you stood?”

Darcy frowned at him, in apparent surprise at his seemingly non sequitur response, and for a moment Steve feared that she would not answer his question and just get up and leave, disappointed that he had refused to answer the question once again.

“The Bucky Barnes display,” she then replied.

“That thing is out-dated, because Bucky is not dead,” Steve said in a rush.

“What?” Darcy squeaked.

Steve held up a hand to reassure her. “I know how this sounds, but I am not crazy. Bucky is the one who shot Nick Fury in my apartment; he is the one that attacked us on the causeway the day before the helicarriers went down. Bucky shot and nearly pummelled me to death on the last helicarrier and I’m pretty sure that he is the one who pulled me out of the water and saved my life. That is, I think only that last part, the saving part, was Bucky, everything else was done by his assassin alter ego, the Winter Soldier, who has been a Hydra asset- a prisoner,” Steve corrected himself, “for the last 70 years.”

Darcy stared at him, her mouth hanging open. “Dude is this-”

“I am not making fun of you, Darcy. In any kind, trust me, I’m the first person to wish that this were some kind of sick joke. Come on, I am going to show you.”

Darcy got up slowly and followed him mutely into his apartment and then into his art studio.

Steve made her stand in the middle of the room. “Jarvis,” he then ordered, “please show the Winter Soldier file.”

Within a split second they were surrounded by all the information Steve and his friends had gathered the past year, the projection took up most of the room. He had started with the file Natasha had given him on the cemetery and continued from there. By now he had managed to almost reconstruct all the Winter Soldier’s movements starting from the day Bucky had fallen down the ravine in the Alps. There were some blank spaces – a few years at the beginning of the 70s, when he was rumoured to have worked for some Russian training programme and some time shortly before the fall of the Berlin wall, but it was otherwise almost complete.

There were all the details about the Winter Soldier programme itself, the development of the brainwashing procedure. Maria and Sam had tracked down sketches of a rudimentary, early version of his bionic arm in the leaked Hydra files. Bruce had interpreted the notes on the serum that Bucky had been given during his time in Zola’s captivity. They had actually been in SHIELD’s possession after busting Hydra facilities shortly after the end of the Second World War but had been forgotten in the upheaval.

Tony had collected all his known associates and his handlers and what their fates had been, upon which the programme was based that had led Steve to Bruges in December. And then there were all of his known missions, most of them deadly, all of them successful – except his last one.

“The Kennedy assassination?” Darcy exclaimed, taking a closer look at the last part. “Oh my god, that’s Howard and Maria Stark. Bucky did all this?”

“The Winter Soldier,” Steve corrected quietly.

“Oh, yeah, sure.” Darcy blushed and then wandered around for a little more, reading here and there, which Steve observed her silently.

“They turned him into the perfect weapon,” Darcy finally judged.

“Just like me,” Steve said softly, leading Darcy’s head to swivel around. “But they also took his will, his identity, kept him prisoner, put him on ice, experimented on him, tortured him when he tried or even managed to break his programming.”

“That’s messed up.”

“Yes. And in the end the Winter Soldier was the name that was given to him by the myth, by other people talking about what he’d done. To them, he was just the asset, not worthy of a name.”

“Holy shit. I-” Darcy started. “I really understand why you don’t want to talk about DC. I thought I’d seen a lot, but man… I cannot even fathom how that makes you feel.”

“Oh, that’s easy. I deserted him. Bucky always had my back and I failed him. So, that mission I was on while the whole media circus took part in your life? It was about him. The one in Bruges as well. I tried to find my best friend.” Steve took a strangled breath to calm his emotions. “So, back to your original question: I don’t talk about DC, because of Bucky. If I were to appear to in front of the committee, I might have to tell them about all this and Bucky deserves to be free and not be a pawn in political agendas or even worse, incarcerated for crimes he was forced to commit. The Winter Soldier has outstanding warrants in 37 countries, including the US. I tried to bring him in on my own, but by now I’ve had to accept that he doesn’t want to be found.”

“You don’t want the political agenda coming with the revelation that Captain America, superhero, star spangled personification of goodness and honesty, has the dirtiest secret of them all? His best friend is a most wanted former assassin, an enemy of state, who he wants to keep out of government custody for crimes he committed while under the influence of Hydra brainwashing.”

“Exactly.”

“Do you want to talk about this?” Darcy offered.

“No, I’m at a good point, actually. Sam and Natasha and Clint, they’ve helped. And sessions at the VA, so-”

“Shit, that’s why you were so annoyed when Twitter users followed you there,” Darcy interrupted him.

“Yeah, but it was all over after a few days so no harm done,” Steve shrugged. “The thing is, all this… I still – or maybe once again – want to burn Hydra to the ground and obviously I want to find Bucky. But I’ve come to accept that while I will always carry my guilt for deserting him, I have to leave Bucky be his own person, even if that means that he never wants to see me again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Another fake magazine cover I really liked](http://redrumballerina.tumblr.com/post/129079229136/voodooling-the-winter-soldierbucky-barnes-gq)
> 
> [Here’s a whole set I totally adore](http://kehinki.tumblr.com/post/120325630426/daisys-johnson-the-new-avengers)
> 
> [This one is great too](http://www.wearewakanda.com/post/122466383913/betherella-wearewakanda-another-fan-edit)


	18. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter this month, the next one is not going to be posted before December 4th, because I have quite the schedule in the next two weeks. I try to answer your reviews/comments etc. in between (lunch break or something) and if you are lucky, then I'll be able to post another chapter on Thanksgiving morning (which is the only free time I have) but I wouldn't count on it.

### Chapter 17

They fell asleep on a couch in the common room area watching a movie after Steve’s major revelation and were awoken the next morning by Tony tapping his foot loudly and insistently. When that didn’t have the desired quick response, he actually harrumphed in disapproval.

Steve and Darcy untangled from each other slowly, they had fallen asleep next to each other but ended up strangely entwined during the night. Steve had a very spectacular case of bed-head with his hair standing up at odd angles, while Darcy’s mane was basically untameable. A quick look at Steve’s torso revealed that she had – thankfully or at least not visibly – not drooled on his shirt.

“Don’t look so guilty, it’s not like you were caught making out by dad like horny teenagers,” Tony commented loudly, looking smug.

“Kind of feels that way though,” Darcy muttered under her breath and Steve couldn’t contain his snort in response.

“Care to repeat that, Lewis?”

“No.”

“Because it sounded to me like you actually said it felt like it and then I would have been so touched that you see me as some kind of surrogate father and then I would’ve proceeded to impart on you some fatherly advice.”

“Thanks, but I already have a dad,” Darcy shot back.

“And an adopted one to boot,” Tony quipped.

“Anything we can help you with, Tony?” Steve asked.

“I just wanted to know why you guys ended up here, in public! In a lover’s embrace, while asleep. Not that we all don’t appreciate the way this relationship is developing – I can’t wait to tell Natasha that I caught you, Steve, _sleeping with a girl_ – but, enquiring minds and such.”

Darcy rolled her eyes dramatically. “We both couldn’t sleep, ran into each other during the night, talked, watched a movie, fell asleep on the comfy couch.”

Tony squinted at them. “And if I were to ask Jarvis he would corroborate your story?”

“Indeed, sir,” the AI answered.

Tony sighed dramatically. “Boring, but not entirely unexpected. Still, I will update everybody about this.” With that he rushed out of the room.

Darcy and Steve stared after him for a moment. “That was… dramatic,” Steve then commented, frowning.

“Is it just me,” Darcy added, shaking her head, “or has Tony’s matchmaking strategy developed to a point where he thinks ‘it’s so overt, it’s covert’?”

“I don’t know, but from experience I’d say that he and Clint have started a pool, or will now start a pool if they haven’t so already.”

They stood next to each other in silence.

“So, about last night…” Darcy began.

“You kind of wish that my story about my brainwashed best friend turned Hydra assassin was a very weird, very terrible dream?” Steve provided.

“No!” Darcy disagreed immediately. “I wanted to thank you for being open with me. I just don’t know how to react…”

“Like I said, I’m doing okay, no need to worry about me. What I always appreciated about you was that you didn’t pity me, so please don’t start now. Continue to treat me like a human being, not like I’m made of glass.”

“Okay, I can do that.”

“And also need you to be my date tonight for the Brooklyn Medical Society gala,” Steve said cheekily, “and imagine the tabloid fodder we would generate if we behaved out of the ordinary.”

“Break up or wedding rumours might get started,” Darcy grinned.

“Exactly, and we wouldn’t want that, would we?”

~*~

With all the new information Darcy had gotten the past night, she felt it was the most important thing to talk with Tony about it. She found him in his workshop later that day, working on the wiring in his suit.

“So,” Darcy decided to tackle the issue upfront. “I had an interesting conversation with Steve tonight. You know, before we fell asleep on the couch and you caught us.”

“Oh yeah?” Tony didn’t even look up from his work. “Did he declare his intentions slash undying affection and now you want to borrow the jet to elope to Vegas?”

“Haha, funny. No, it was about the Winter Soldier aka Bucky Barnes, notorious assassin confirmed to have killed your parents in December 1991.”

Tony’s hand slipped and one of his gauntlets fell to the ground with a clang.

“That’s what I thought,” Darcy said.

“What did you think exactly?” Tony shot back harshly.

“That it affects you more than you’re willing to admit. I know you are all trying to help Steve and we all get that it’s a tragic story, but how do you really feel about it?”

“How do I feel helping to look for a guy who murdered my parents? I try not to think about it,” Tony said, refusing to look at Darcy.

“Maybe you should.”

“Maybe ignoring the issue is more my style,” Tony shot back.

“You sure?” Darcy asked. “Because the last time you ignored a very important issue, you built more than 40 suits that then helped blow up half of the LA harbour.”

Tony laid down his screwdriver with a pained expression and sat back on his chair, finally looking at her. “Darcy,” Tony said softly, “I know that it wasn’t really Bucky who killed my parents. We’ve all read the file, it was Hydra who sent him and he didn’t do it of his own free will. Bucky knew my father back in the day; they worked together; he would never…” Tony trailed off.

“Okay, understood.”

“The thing is, I cannot guarantee my reaction when we really find him, get him back, when he reappears. Because as idealistic Steve is about this, we don’t know what state James Buchanan Barnes might be in. If it’s Bucky we get back or if it’s the Winter Soldier we find or if it’s a little bit of both. Or if he’s just an empty shell. And I’m actually afraid that I might disagree with Steve then, because we all know how he can get on his blind path of righteousness.”

Darcy sighed deeply. “That is true.”

“So yeah, thanks for asking how I feel, but I’m not the only factor in this whole convoluted plot.”

“Okay, but if you want to talk, let me know, because it is a whole other political issue… Captain America’s dirty secret, his brainwashed best friend is an enemy of the state. And I would hate for you and Cap to be played against each other in this.”

“What do you mean?” Tony frowned at her.

“If we find him and it gets into the public – and it will be at some point – you of all people will have to be unfortunately most politically savvy about it. You make one remark about Bucky that can be misinterpreted in the slightest way and it’ll be ‘Iron Man vs. Captain America’ shitstorm all over the news. And you have to be a united front otherwise you will never be accepted as a trustworthy paramilitary group, not when people have to fear infighting between their bigwigs.”

“Are you managing me?” Tony raised his eyebrows at her.

“Yes, I am managing a potentially threatening political situation. That’s my job,” Darcy said defiantly, half expecting a sharp remark from Tony. Instead he surprised her.

“Pepper and Maria have chosen well,” he simply stated and it took all of Darcy’s self-restraint to not gape at him.

“Thank you,” she then just said.

“But it’s not me you should worry about. It’s your obstinate star spangled man with no sense of self-preservation. What are you going to do about him?”

“I don’t know. Yet.”

“Will you give him the talk, too?”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Because you’ve been all over him appearing in DC, public oversight and such, but I guess that’s not really your primary issue any more?”

“No,” Darcy shook her head, “the less Steve says about DC the better. Contain and control the story.”

“So, now that you’ve handled me, you have to work on keeping our little group’s large conspiracy out of the public eye. Good luck with that.”

~*~

**Top 10 best NYC celebrity spotting places**

Bumping the tower up to the no. 1 spot from no. 6 last year is the fact that next to Tony Stark now also Captain America and Darcy Lewis aka “America’s Sweetheart” live in the Tower and can be found strolling around in the neighbourhood more often than not.

~*~

Strangely enough there was quite the big assembly to see her and Steve off to the Brooklyn Medical Society gala that night. As per usual the two of them waited in the common room for their driver to be ready and in the past sometimes one of their teammates had wandered by (mostly on their way to find something edible) or Darcy had had some last minute conversation with Pepper about something, but this time Tony, Bruce, Thor and Clint as well as Pepper were all sitting on the couches being busy (or at least pretending to be).

Darcy surveyed the assembly for a moment, squinting at them, but the only one to react was Clint, who winked at her. She was about to ask what was going on, when Steve appeared.

“Ugh, I’ll never get used to the bow tie. Why do-” Steve complained when he stepped into the room behind her and then stopped short. He stared at his teammates for a second, but then probably decided that he would not start what would probably be a very uncomfortable conversation. He just looked at Darcy, his eyebrows raised in question, who shrugged in response.

“You look very beautiful tonight, Darcy,” Thor finally broke the silence.

“Thanks, big guy,” Darcy said.

“Doesn’t she, Steve?” Tony added.

Steve narrowed his eyes at him and for a moment Darcy thought that his rebellious streak would come out and he would say something that Tony didn’t expect at all, but then he just said: “Yes, she does.”

The silence lingered between them again. Darcy tapped her foot impatiently, ready to leave. “You guys definitely make a handsome couple,” Clint then observed.

Darcy just sighed loudly, then shook her head and decided to cut to the chase. “I don’t know what you guys are planning, but trying to make this feel like the awkward prom date is not going to cut it.”

“Huh?” Bruce said.

“You know, when a guy takes the daughter of the house to prom and the father or another male member of the household tries to make him uncomfortable?” She looked into blank faces. “With weird questions or with being semi-hostile slash territorial? It’s the oldest trick in the book.”

“You forget, Darcy,” Pepper chimed in good-naturedly, “that most of those overgrown teenagers here next to me didn’t have a normal childhood.”

“So they now live vicariously through me? Through us?” she asked, pointing at herself and Steve.

“Hey, you guys are the only normal ones around here,” Tony sounded defensive. “We are kind of enjoying that.”

“Hello Magazine would disagree,” Steve commented dryly. “The pertinent point being that I’m old enough to be her grandfather.”

“But we all know that years on ice don’t count,” Clint disagreed.

“Anyway,” Tony said loudly, “if this is to be the stereotypical prom date, should we take the optimistic youngster to the side to say something about protection or so? Because Steve has his own line of condoms.”

“Each one you buy is a bullet in the barrel of your best guy’s gun,” Clint said, nodding solemnly. Behind him Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head slightly and Thor just frowned at him.

Darcy and Steve stared at each other, unsure how to respond, when they were saved from answering by Jarvis announcing that their car was waiting for them.

They said their goodbyes and stepped into the elevator. As soon as the doors closed behind them, Darcy shook her head. “Definitely so overt it’s covert,” she just muttered to herself.

“That’s not even half of it,” Steve said, shaking his head as well.

“Something you’ve been keeping from me?”

“Oh, yeah, happened a few days back when you were neck deep into your stuff about comparative politics. Tony tried to threaten me, give me the shovel talk.”

Darcy looked up at Steve sharply. “He did?”

“Yup,” Steve nodded, stepping out of the elevator and towards the car, holding the door open for her and then getting in next to her, “threatened to beat me to a pulp with his suit if I hurt you.”

“That’s kind of gross and weirdly adorable.”

“Yeah, but Bruce set the record straight about nobody needing to defend your honour. Oh, and then Jane threatened me as well.”

“Kids these days, they have no respect for the institution that is Captain America,” Darcy joked, making Steve laugh softly. “Tony is the weirdest one though; he thinks he’s so funny sometimes. He asked me if my second name was Elizabeth.”

Steve grinned. “And, is it?”

“No, my mom was not that much of a weirdo. It’s Maeve if you need to know. She had her Irish mythology phase when I was born.”

“Well, as long as he doesn’t refer to you as Darcy Maeve Rogers, we should be good.”

They spent the rest of the ride in silence, staring out of the windows and at the buildings passing by. When they arrived at the venue, Darcy sighed deeply when she saw the pack of paparazzi stationed at what was supposed to be a back entrance.

“Somebody, probably one of the organisers,” she said, “must have leaked our arrival to the press for maximum coverage.”

Steve looked out as well. “Do we not get them maximum coverage anyway? By, you know, attending?”

“Usually, but there must be a certain draw of paparazzi shots of the two of us in all our finery.”

“So what now?” Steve asked.

“We could have Jarvis find an alternative entrance for us. Or we could brave the hordes and break one of the cardinal rules.”

“The one about coming and leaving together?” Steve clarified.

“Yeah, because you have to go first and cut through the swarm waiting for us. There’s no way I can get through them on my own, not in these shoes.”

“Well,” Steve just said dryly, reaching to open the door, “didn’t people say it was becoming ridiculous anyway?”

~*~

“This is one of the worst events I have ever attended,” was Darcy’s verdict two hours later, when they were seated and waiting for the second course in between speeches from corporate sponsors blowing their own horn. “As much as I like the Brooklyn Medical Society, there’s nothing that can make this evening any better. It started with the paps waiting for us, but the event itself is boring, the band is a crime to humanity, the people here are uncaring oafs and the food is terrible. Also: my feet are killing me. They don’t pay me enough to sit through it the whole evening.”

Steve regarded her for a moment. “Do you want to get out of here?” he then whispered.

“Like now?” Darcy looked at him sideways. “Captain America skips an event where he practically is the guest of honour before the second course?”

“Yes, I mean, we’ve done our part, haven’t we? There’s nothing to keep us here except our own sense of obligation and I suggest we switch that off immediately. Also, to sweeten the deal: There’s an Italian restaurant around the corner that was already here when I first lived in the city with Bucky and they still make their tomato sauce using their original 1914 recipe. I checked it out when I moved back to New York. It’s still a hole in the wall and nothing fancy, but their pizza is divine.”

Darcy thought for a moment, meanwhile Steve got his phone out of his pocket.

“What are you doing?”

“Contacting Jarvis about an alternative way out of this joint,” Steve explained.

“Oh, smart move.”

“Yeah, I really don’t fancy the paparazzi following us around. We’ve given them more than usual during our arrival already. Does that mean you’re in?”

“Yup, lead the way Captain Hooky.”

Steve excused himself from the table first under the pretext of wanting to thank the speaker in person when he was finally finished talking and Darcy followed a few minutes later pretending to search for Steve when he didn’t return. Thanks to Jarvis they got out of the venue through a side building without running into anyone, least of all the press. Darcy texted their driver that they wouldn’t need them for the rest of the night, but asked him to make a big show at the front entrance so that some desperate paparazzi would actually follow him on a merry goose chase.

Steve led her to a tiny Italian restaurant two blocks away and when they entered, the hostess recognised him immediately, greeted him as “Steve”, which Darcy deemed to be a good sign, and led them to the only open table left at the window. Darcy let herself fall onto her chair heavily, put her clutch on the table next to her and just breathed for a moment, happy to finally sit and no longer having to smile and make polite small talk. Steve regarded her for a moment and then asked her what she wanted to eat.

“Just, whatever is good, honestly. You are the expert.”

He just grinned at her, then ordered soft drinks for both of them and his “usual” – whatever that was.

While they waited Darcy slowly took out all the bobby pins that had held her hair together in an artful arrangement and it came tangling down in waves. She then bowed down and got rid of her strappy heels, wiggling her finally freed toes.

She looked back up at Steve and realized that she had seldom seen him so relaxed. He had taken off his jacket, which was carelessly hung over his chair. His bowtie had come undone and the fabric was hanging loosely around his neck with the top button of his dress shirt being open. He had taken off his cufflinks and rolled up the sleeves over his elbows. Even his hair was now standing up at odd angles because he must have run his hand through it several times. He was sitting on his chair, relaxed, smiling contently, his long legs tangling up with hers in the small leg space at their table.

“What?” he asked when he caught her staring at him.

“Nothing,” Darcy just answered.

They sat in companionable silence until their food arrived. Darcy took one bite of the pizza in front of her and then moaned in satisfaction. “Oh my god, so good! Why have we never been here before?”

“Don’t know,” Steve shrugged. “Never came up, really.”

“You, Captain Rogers,” Darcy said mock accusatory, “have been holding out on me.”

“I would never do that, Miss Lewis.”

“Though, word of advice among friends: Never take anybody here on a date. Not if you have serious intentions. All that garlic in the sauce and then kissing, not a good combination.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Steve nodded. “What’s with the nicknames?” Steve suddenly asked after a few minutes of silence.

“What do you mean?”

“The Captain Hooky at the benefit. And then Captain Pity Party a few weeks back. Then there was Captain Winghead and you called me Captain One-Man Army last week when we ran into each other after my workout with Thor. Just now you were back to Captain Rogers, which you used to call me before, you know, the _thing_.”

“You don’t like them?” Darcy asked curiously.

“That’s not what I meant, just: why?”

“Steve is just so… normal and the Captain just has so many possibilities. I can stop if you like.” Darcy grinned at him.

“Nah, I’m good. Can’t be worse than the Capsicle and the Captain Chastity and all the other stuff Tony called me in the first weeks of our acquaintance.”

“Oh, you shouldn’t have said that. Challenge accepted.”

They finished their meal and afterwards just sat and looked outside the window, watching people and cars hurry past.

“Tell me something nobody else knows about you,” Darcy said finally, breaking their silence and looking back at Steve.

Steve looked pensive for a moment. “I miss being able to see the night sky,” he then said much to Darcy’s surprise. “You know, the stars and the constellations… It’s not possible anymore. At least not here.”

“Too much light pollution,” Darcy said.

“Yeah, and I know it sounds horrible, actually wishing for something back then, back during the war, because… you know, World War II, the deadliest conflict in human history, but then… I miss the Commandos, the camaraderie, the stuff we came up with. How they treated me like I was one of them and took no shit.”

“They definitely sound amazing from all the stories.”

“They were so much more than that,” Steve said with a wistful smile. “So we would go on missions, weeks at a time, and we’d sleep on the ground and took turns to keep watch and it was me more often than not, because I don’t need so much sleep and I’d watch the night sky, protecting my friends and I knew that they would always have my back.”

“That is a good memory,” Darcy agreed. “Among all the horrors.”

“And I could even see the night sky in London, sometimes,” Steve continued.

“Blackout,” Darcy just said.

“Yeah, but not only that… Usually we were in bunkers, no night sky there, but Howard, he sometimes went out during the bombings to see how the flak, the antiaircraft guns, were doing, if he could improve them in any way and sometimes I went along. So, Bucky had two maniacs to yell at for lacking a sense of self-preservation,” Steve said with a smile.

“They don’t tell you that in the Smithsonian,” Darcy remarked.

“No, as much as I like the exhibition, it’s about my legend… So yes, I was their commanding officer and Bucky was my XO, but if you spend time together in the trenches and on the European Theatre, you become one of them. And the Commandos most definitely didn’t look up to me the way people do now. I wasn’t the warrior of legend back then.”

“Is that why you were so reluctant to officially become the Avengers’ leader? To lead a whole new crew after you’d just lost the old one?”

“Oh no, that was because I had the responsibility for Bucky first. I had to find him before going out and saving the world, so to speak…”

“Honestly?” Darcy regarded him curiously.

“Yeah, I’m always honest,” Steve declared. “I like working in this new team, including the makeshift family thing, but back then… There was evil there to destroy, and we all thought it would be over afterwards and we could go home. I thought it would be over with me crash-landing the Valkyrie in the Arctic. And here I am, 70 years later, still fighting the good fight, but now I also have to think about the grey areas and the political ramifications.”

“The war never left you,” Darcy said softly. “If anything the warfare has become more complicated.”

“Yeah…” Steve said with a nod. “And at this point I’m afraid war’s the only thing I’ll ever know.”

“So, yesterday night when you asked me if I wanted to be normal, was that you projecting on me because you want to be normal?”

He shrugged. “Maybe I was. It’s just… _I_ feel normal with you, comfortable.”

“You feel like you’re 30 and not like almost 97?”

“There are days when I’m feeling the 97 plenty. But it’s nice, not thinking about Atlas’ weight on my shoulders all the time.”

The last sentence hung heavily between them and Darcy was not sure what or even how to respond. She knew by now that Steve came with a lot of baggage and that he put up a brave front more often than not. People – including her at the beginning of their relationship – tended to forget that Steve was still young, sometimes frighteningly so and had missed out on a lot of experiences people took for granted these days, because he had spent his most of his twenties fighting. And his development had been accelerated, too, not only because of the ice nap. For him it had only been five years from asthmatic weakling to warrior of legend.

“And like Tony said,” Steve continued lightly, “that’s why our friends want us to be together, because we are the only normal ones. Or the ones with the best shot at being normal at least.”

“Well, that’s not going to work,” Darcy declared jokingly, “because I, for one, am extraordinary.”

“Yes, you are,” Steve just said earnestly, looking her straight into the eyes, making Darcy swallow hard.

“I don’t really know what to say to that,” she then confessed, becoming serious once more, “to any of it really.”

“I’ve killed the mood, haven’t I?” Steve said with a self-deprecating smile.

“You have,” Darcy agreed, “but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. You were being honest and yourself and I appreciate that. My reaction is just… lagging behind. On anything, really.”

“Don’t beat yourself up. I don’t really expect you to have one. I don’t want to be pitied or just empty comfort or anything. Like I said: Normal is nice.”

“Okay.”

They sat in companionable silence again, until Steve signalled for the check.

“I’d suggest walking home, but I guess not in these shoes, right?” he grinned.

“Yeah, you better call us a taxi. Because otherwise it’s either walking in the shoes or walking barefoot and neither is very tempting an option.”

“I could carry you,” Steve teased.

“Oh yes, please, carry me bridal style through half of New York. I can only fathom what the tabloids and social media will make out of it.”

“I was thinking fireman style over my shoulder.”

“So that everybody can get a good look at my butt, now you are really selling it,” was Darcy’s deadpan reply.

“Taxi it is.”

“This was – despite the inauspicious beginnings – a great evening,” Darcy announced on the way back to the tower. “Let’s skip out early and have some greasy and delicious food all the time, including the honest conversations.”

“That’s going to be emotionally draining, for both of us,” Steve replied.

“I mean it,” Darcy reiterated, “I can do normal, but if you need to talk, talk.”

“Okay.”

The taxi driver brought them to the front entrance of the tower.

“I think there’s someone waiting for us,” Steve said, pointing at a middle-aged man waiting at the entrance.

“Paparazzo or fan?” Darcy asked quietly.

“He doesn’t have a camera, so I’m thinking fan.”

As soon as the man saw the two of them getting out of the taxi he approached them quickly.

“Steven Grant Rogers?” he asked.

“Yes,” Steve nodded.

He flashed his Marshal’s badge. “You are to appear in front of the SHIELD oversight committee tomorrow. You’ve been served.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ta-dah! This was the point. The point I've been writing towards. This chapter ending was planned right from the beginning when I originally started writing this. I'm so excited guys, I made it! Now, let's see what comes next, shall we?
> 
> Darcy and Steve wading through a sea of paparazzi (and fans) lying in wait for them: I'm referencing [this picture of Hayley Atwell and Chris Evans](http://atwellling.tumblr.com/post/118400946086/hayley-atwell-chris-evans-leaving-the-scott).
> 
> The [condom advertisement (you’ve all probably seen it)](http://winterartwork.tumblr.com/post/84944337907/each-one-you-buy-is-a-bullet-in-the-barrel-of-you) I stole Clint's line from (and [another one](http://roboticonography.tumblr.com/post/126654946535/werewolvesdontlikeyou-woofbane-hes))
> 
> And the mention of Howard being out during blackout and criticising anti air craft guns: I just realised later that this was probably inspired by “[Science Bros - The First Generation](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1997253)” by Fyre (awesome read, but: it’s a tearjerker).


	19. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We had to adjust our itinerary because of the weather and so my sis and I were just chilling and I decided to make some final edits to this chapter (after [KByrd’s](http://archiveofourown.org/users/kbyrd) amazing beta job) and am now posting it early. Why? Because I love you guys.
> 
> I took a lot of creative license with this one. A lot. See the end notes for further details.
> 
> (I don’t know when I’ll be able to post the next chapter.)

### Chapter 18

They made their way through the lobby in silence. Steve was idly playing with the letter in his hand. Darcy was on her phone, trying to reach Pepper and Maria and then just decided to have Jarvis alert them once they made it to the elevator.

“Can you please say it and get it out of the way?” Steve said into the uncomfortable silence between them, while the elevator brought them to the top floors.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Darcy said pertly.

Steve just gave her an “oh, please” look.

“All right, I’m not going to say I told you so, but I _goddamn_ told you so.”

“I know.”

“You knew they were out to get you. And now it’s tomorrow, Steve, tomorrow morning. Look at the documents. We probably have less than 12 hours to prepare.”

“I thought you had a plan,” Steve said calmly.

“I had a plan until you told me _yesterday_ that your assailant, a master assassin, was your brainwashed best friend who died a war hero 70 years ago.”

“I’m not going to tell them anything about Bucky,” Steve said firmly.

Darcy stared at him in disbelief for a second. “Oh yeah?”

“Yes,” Steve repeated.

“Do I have to remind you that you are known to be a terrible liar? And that lying under oath would actually be perjury?”

“I’m still not going to tell them about Bucky,” Steve said, stepping out of the elevator and into the deserted common area. “I’m going to think of something.”

“They want heads to roll!” Darcy threw her arms up in frustration. “They wouldn’t invite Captain America, the paragon of virtue, unless they were sure they could put him in a corner. They want to embarrass you in front of an audience. You better think of something quickly.”

Steve let himself fall on one of the couches. “They might put me in a corner, but I will still not tell them about Bucky,” he reiterated.

Darcy sat down opposite of him and regarded him with a calculating look for a moment. “Captain Rogers,” she then began seriously, and Steve was taken aback by her formal speech for a moment, “you were involved in both the shooting spree in downtown DC and the attack on the helicarriers the next day, is that correct?”

Steve looked at her questioningly for a moment but then decided to play along with Darcy’s mock interrogation. “Yes.”

“And former SHIELD director Nicholas J. Fury was shot and mortally injured in your presence in your apartment after a failed assassination attempt on the streets of Washington a few hours before the fact, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Are you aware that after a full investigation the main assailant in all these instances is considered to be the same person?”

“I am aware of the results of the investigation now,” was Steve’s carefully-worded reply, leading Darcy to raise her eyebrows at him.

“It was one and the same person who assassinated Nicholas Fury, who shot up half of downtown DC and who shot and critically injured you on the last helicarrier.”

“It would appear so.”

“Captain, you were engaged in a fight with your assailant for quite some time, I presume?”

“Define ‘quite some time’.”

“You fought with him for several minutes and must have gotten a look at his face. Is my assumption correct?”

“Yes,” Steve said tersely.

“Yes, you saw his face?”

“Yes.”

“So, who shot you?” Darcy asked him, daring him to lie. “And who shot Nick Fury? And who _murdered_ dozens of innocent SHIELD personnel on the ground trying to get to your aid?”

“A former HYDRA assassin known as the Winter Soldier.”

“And then,” Darcy sat back and crossed her arms in front of her chest, “they might consult for a minute and then realise that the Winter Soldier is an alias and ask you if you know the real identity of your assailant and what are you going to do then?”

Steve sighed deeply. “I don’t know,” he then said honestly.

“Well, get to it, because, I just cornered you in less than 10 questions,” Darcy said exasperatedly.

“Senators and military personnel might not be as good interrogators as you.” At this moment, Pepper stepped into the room from the elevator. “And anyway,” Steve considered, “aren’t you supposed to lend me your expertise in this matter since you are the political expert?”

“Yes, but I have no idea where we are standing.”

“What happened?” Pepper asked. “Why are we meeting in the middle of the night?”

“Steve just got served and has to go to DC tomorrow,” Darcy explained.

“Oh,” Pepper just said and then sat down next to Darcy.

“Maria?” Darcy asked.

“Unexpectedly out on liaising business for a few days,” Pepper explained. “So they really went for it and got him on the anniversary.”

“Yes they did,” Darcy nodded.

“And you are preparing him for the cross examination?” Pepper asked.

“We are trying to figure out how to keep Bucky out of the conversation,” Steve said quietly.

“Makes sense,” Pepper agreed, “we really don’t want Captain America confessing to the fact that he’s actively searching with the intent of abetting a known enemy of the United States. Any thoughts as to the how?”

“Fake proposing to Darcy on the spot as a matter of diversion comes to mind,” Steve said drily.

Darcy narrowed her eyes at him. “That is so not going to happen.”

“Don’t know,” Steve shrugged, “using the private to deflect the political. It has worked before.”

“But it’s not really a tactic I see Captain America employing,” Pepper said.

“And for the record: I would say ‘no’,” Darcy added.

“That would make even better headlines,” he shot back.

“Steve,” Darcy hissed, “can you please stop being such a sassy cupcake and focus on the matter at hand.”

They were silent for a moment.

“You know, maybe we should focus on the stuff Steve can actually talk about,” Darcy then contemplated loudly. “And not on the things he shouldn’t say.”

“Good point,” Pepper agreed. “He can talk about everything except Bucky and Nick Fury.”

“Why doesn’t he steer the conversation in the direction of the other Avengers?” Darcy suggested. “There’s enough anti-Avengers sentiment on the Hill already.”

“And a lot of fear-mongering,” Pepper added.

“Which Steve can first foster and then he can allay all their fears.”

Steve looked between the two women. “Okay, you guys lost me.”

“You know,” Darcy started to explain, “there have been these conspiracy theories that you taking down SHIELD is just the first step that will eventually lead to a power surge from the powerful six.”

“What?” Steve exclaimed disbelievingly.

“You are all very powerful,” Pepper continued. “It’s natural for people to be afraid of you.”

“And you really want me to focus on that?” Steve wasn’t really sure that would work. “When we just decided a few weeks ago that the Avengers are to become the most well-respected, courteous, not-for-profit rapid response team?”

“No, but just imagine portraying your actions in the context of the whole group, not you alone trying to save your best friend,” Darcy explained.

“And then you can also alleviate their fears about single group members,” Pepper continued. “Because as some people – rightfully so – have pointed out: Why was it just Natasha, Maria, Sam and you at the Triskellion? Why didn’t you contact Bruce and Tony, who were 30 minutes away with the Quinjet? Why not ask Thor for help since he could’ve flown over from London easily?”

“You basically need to take over the interrogation,” Darcy added, “and make it about the Avengers, not about SHIELD. Answer all the questions people might be having about the Avengers in general and if you cannot steer the questioning away from the day you took down SHIELD make it about the Avengers, too. Were there concerns about members in particular? Did you have suspicions that some of them were Hydra as well? If not: Why didn’t you ask for their expertise? The turbines were of Stark making, why not ask Tony to dismantle them instead of leaving a wreck in the middle of the Potomac? Throw in some suggestions for public oversight for good measure, too.”

Steve contemplated their suggestion for a moment. “That might just work,” he then agreed. “Bury them in information in order to protect the information I really don’t want to give them yet.”

“Good,” Darcy nodded. “Now, for the next part I actually have a plan: I’ll tell you all about the committee members so you will be prepared for the Washington show of narcissism and ignorance tomorrow.”

~*~

 

**Standing by her man!**

It is a rare occasion to see these two step out in an entirely official, professional manner. After the Captain successfully avoided the political implications of his actions in Washington D.C. for months, he was finally ~~forced to run the gauntlet~~ subpoenaed to appear at the subcommittee hearing.

In a rare show of sentiment he had girlfriend Darcy Lewis by his side.

Though the Captain made it clear that she was there as both his personal and professional support, making sure to mention that she is the Avengers political liaison (yes, that’s a thing now!). And the adoring couple managed to keep their feelings and lovesick looks (mostly) in check!

We won’t bother you with details of his testimony, as we are sure you’ve all seen it by now (the Captain’s appearance broke the C-SPAN ratings record!), but it was clear that Darcy is keeping up with all the political complications and is clearly more than just a pretty face.

~*~

Truth be told: Steve had been nervous in the beginning, especially after Darcy had interrogated him so thoroughly the previous night. There was just so much he couldn’t talk about and he knew that he was a terrible liar. It went against his principles to lie – even lie by omission or by carefully wording the truth. But then… he felt that it was not yet time to talk about Bucky – if ever. Steve had no idea where he was. As far as Steve could tell, he had disappeared to never be seen again. Bucky deserved to be free, he didn’t need any undue media attention because Steve was publicly telling a story that was not his to tell. Or at least not his to tell alone.

Darcy had done an excellent job in preparing him for the interrogation both during the night and on the way to DC in the morning, but even then, in his mind he went through all the possible horror scenarios. If he botched this up and didn’t manage to keep the conversation from Bucky, then he would have a whole slew of issues that he couldn’t even fathom to understand at this moment. And then he would be caught off guard, because Darcy, with her limited knowledge of the situation, hadn’t been able to prepare him for talking about Bucky. If everything really failed, he either could tell the honest truth and hope that it wouldn’t become mangled in the press and for political purposes or do what Natasha did: Get up and leave and refuse to testify further.

His nervousness lasted exactly until the moment he entered the room the hearing was to take place. They had moved into a bigger room for the interrogation of Captain America. The committee was no longer sequestered in the small room with the circular table at the end of some forgotten floor in the Capitol, which was where both Natasha and Maria had testified. They were now in the biggest room they had for subcommittee hearings, which, coincidentally, was also the room Tony Stark had been questioned by known Hydra member, former Senator Stern, a few years back.

It no longer presented an image of ‘conversation among equals’ as the circular table had suggested, now they were in full-blown interrogation mode, where the committee members actually looked down at Steve from their elevated position. They were clearly going for intimidation. He could feel his hackles rising. This wasn’t about the truth, he realised, this was about the spectacle. Well, he thought bitterly, if a spectacle was what they wanted, a spectacle they would get.

The room was filled to the brim, mostly by members of the press. Steve recognised some members of other intelligence agencies SHIELD had collaborated with and who had appeared in front of the committee in the past months. There were also some high-ranking members from the military in dress uniform in the first few rows.

Steve had forgone the uniform and opted for civilian clothing instead. Darcy had seconded that decision, there was no need to make an extra spectacle out of his appearance. The committee members wanted to do this, hence the invitation for the first anniversary. Steve hadn’t wanted to help their dramatics along.

This was also why Steve had taken only Darcy with him – even though all the Avengers and their partners had offered to accompany him to present a united front. Even Natasha had texted him during the night from an encrypted number asking if he needed support, but Steve had declined, stating that an Avengers assemble – while intimidating – would lead to even more unnecessary attention. He had Darcy, seated in the front row directly behind him, for emotional support and political expertise; that should be enough.

Steve squared his shoulders. He probably couldn’t keep up with Tony’s dramatics a few years back, but he could tell them all the things about the Avengers they never knew they wanted. Not talking about Bucky would be easy enough.

First Steve was sworn in and then sat down again. Senator Wenham, the chairman, regarded him for a moment.

“Captain Rogers,” he then began, “I assume you know why you are here today?”

“As a matter of fact, I don’t,” Steve retorted. “Why don’t you tell me before I have to start guessing?”

The senator squinted at him. “There is no need to start this off so antagonistically, Captain. We are just having a chat.”

“Okay, still… about what?”

“You know what anniversary the intelligence community is… celebrating today, do you?” the senator answered with another question.

“The Armed Forces Security Agency, the predecessor to the National Security Agency, was formed on this day a few decades ago. Is that what you mean?” Steve shot back. Behind him he could he a collective gasp from the audience. They probably hadn’t expected this kind of behaviour from Steve, or rather from Captain America. Even the members of the committee looked taken aback. Senator Wenham frowned as if he were speculating.

“This is about your actions that led to the downfall of SHIELD exactly a year ago,” he then calmly said after a brief pause. “And your actions that led to it.”

“Ok, I can confess that I was involved in that.”

“One might as well say that you were the mastermind behind the attack on one of the pillars of America’s – and the world’s – security,” a second senator, Bryant, weighed in.

“You give me too much credit, I had some help-”

“From two agents and a retired pararescueman as far as we know,” Senator Bryant interrupted him.

“And it wasn’t an attack on an intelligence agency,” Steve continued, “it was a counter attack on Hydra but SHIELD was-”

“Collateral damage?” a third Senator called Sandell threw in.

“Too corrupted to be salvaged,” Steve finished.

“And you decided this all by yourself?” Senator Wenham asked him.

“No, I had help from two agents and a retired pararescueman. And common sense because Hydra had to be stopped.”

“But surely you could’ve found another way,” Senator Sandell suggested.

“No,” Steve simply said.

“You didn’t have to expose everything,” Senator Wenham further added.

“Yes, we did.”

“Why?”

“Because Hydra had to be stopped,” Steve repeated.

They were silent for a moment and Steve hoped that they would change their interrogation in another direction, but he wasn’t so lucky.

“Did it ever occur to you to alert… authorities before making any rash decisions?” Senator Wenham asked.

“No,” Steve answered simply.

“What?” The senator looked aghast.

Steve took a deep breath. “Let me rephrase it: Yes, the thought occurred to me, but we couldn’t do that.”

“Why?”

“Hydra could’ve been everywhere or anywhere,” Steve explained, leading to an exasperated eyeroll from the majority of the committee members. “They were hidden in plain sight. Just the day before they made an attack on SHIELD director Nick Fury appear as if it was the police chasing down a simple criminal. So if they were confident enough to impersonate officers of the Metropolitan police to assassinate a high-ranking SHIELD official in public, in broad daylight, and expected to get away with it, then we couldn’t even begin to fathom what else they were willing to do to stop us from stopping Project Insight. We had to act quickly and covertly. Hence just this small team leading a surprise attack and not calling Iron Man or the Hulk in,” Steve finished, hoping that they would concentrate on his mention of his teammates. Unfortunately, luck was again not on his side.

“So you think you did nothing wrong,” Senator Wenham stated.

“Yes.” Steve nodded.

“And you would do the same thing again.”

“Yes,” Steve confirmed.

“But why didn’t you follow proper protocol?” Senator Bryant asked.

“I wasn’t aware there was a protocol for ‘your intelligence agency has been infiltrated by a Nazi dead cult intent on taking over the world’,” Steve retorted leading to laughter from the audience.

“But you could have alerted other authorities?” Senator Wenham repeated his statement from not two minutes ago.

Steve took a deep breath. “As I said,” he said slowly, “at that point we didn’t know who to trust and with Insight launching in less than 36 hours it was rather… time sensitive.”

“Still, why didn’t you tell anyone?”

“Well, I told the SHIELD agents on site that day and asked them to choose their side,” Steve pointed out.

“As wholesome and inspiring your little speech that day was – we actually have it on tape – it still doesn’t explain why you didn’t alert other authorities.”

“Especially since you would leak an unprecedented vast amount of classified data that endangered government employees worldwide a few hours later,” Senator Sandell added.

“We didn’t know who Hydra had infiltrated. We had to smoke out all of their sleeper cells,” Steve explained. “Exposing all of it was the best way to do it.”

“But why not notify other intelligence agencies that you were going to blow some, or rather a lot of covers?”

“We didn’t know who Hydra had infiltrated,” Steve repeated. “For all we knew they could probably also intercept our communication.”

“Hmm,” Senator Wenham just said. “Is that going to be your excuse for everything today?”

Steve turned around to look at Darcy, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. They were going in circles around a topic he really wanted to avoid. For his liking they were still too close to the day everything – including Bucky’s unmasking – had happened. One well-placed question and he might not be able to avoid talking about the Winter Soldier. Maybe it was time to increase the dramatics a little bit. Darcy squinted at him like she could almost read his thoughts, but then she just shrugged and motioned him to look back up front.

“Captain Rogers… eyes upfront,” Senator Wenham admonished him sharply. “Please stop making mooneyes at your girlfriend.”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Steve answered before he could stop himself.

“Oh really?” he all but snarled. “Who’s the busty brunette you’ve been conferring with then? And remember that you are under oath.”

Steve looked at him disdainfully. “The young lady is a PR and political liaisons expert.”

“Is she now?”

“Yes, and she’s here in her official capacity as my – and the other Avengers’ – political advisor.”

“Any particular reason why the Avengers now need a political advisor on payroll?”

“You guys have been handing out subpoenas left and right,” Steve pointed out. “We figured it might help to get a head start.”

“Don’t you think that having a political advisor on the team is kind of suspicious?” Senator Bryant chimed in.

Steve frowned at him. “Excuse me?”

“Isn’t political advisor a fancy word for a fixer? Having one makes you appear as if you have something to hide.”

“Me? I’m an open book,” Steve commented drily. “As a matter of fact there are several books about me. And that is not why we decided to hire a political and PR liaison.”

“Well, then why did you hire one, please, do enlighten us,” Senator Wenham requested disdainfully.

“From the way that statement is worded I’m pretty sure you’ve never searched for ‘Tony Stark naked’,” Steve retorted. Behind him the audience laughed again. “Then you’d know why we would need additional support for all the public aspects.”

“But didn’t Tony Stark, in this very room a few years ago, assure us that those days were over?”

Steve shrugged. “Well, not necessarily him then, but Clint did threaten to spread rumours about the existence of a star spangled sex tape,” Steve said, again leading to laughter from the audience. Behind him he could her Darcy suck in her breath sharply. “Not that it exists,” he added. “But we certainly need adult supervision. Someone to keep us in line.”

“You are actually taking the words from my mouth, Captain,” the fourth member of the committee, Senator Richardson, began to speak. “Someone to keep you in line. Let’s elaborate on that, shall we?”

Steve had to resist the urge to sigh audibly. Finally he had gotten them where he wanted them to have and away from the topic of Hydra and SHIELD and back to the Avengers. He had more room to breathe and to talk openly now. Nevertheless, this was going to be a long day.

~*~

 

** The star spangled session**  
_By Amy J. Schmidt_

The moment Captain America, Steve Rogers, seemed to realize that his testimony Thursday before the SHIELD Oversight Committee was not going to be a big problem for him came about thirty minutes in. Until then he had regarded the members of the committee with thinly-veiled scepticism, surprising dry wit and occasional belligerence.

His moment came with Senator Wenham, the chairman of the committee, admonished him about conferring with his girlfriend sitting behind him. She was not his girlfriend, Rogers rebuffed immediately and introduced her as a political advisor to himself and his team. Why would the Avengers need a political advisor? the Senator asked. “From the way that statement is worded I’m pretty sure you’ve never searched for ‘Tony Stark naked’,” Captain Rogers quipped. — “But didn’t Tony Stark, in this very room a few years ago, assure us that those days were over?” Senator Wenham persisted.

“Well,” Rogers answered, “not necessarily him then, but Clint [‘Hawkeye’ Barton] did threaten to spread rumors about the existence about a star spangled sex tape. Not that it exists. But we certainly need adult supervision. Someone to keep us in line.”

From then on he was in control.

The Captain, who is known to be an inspirational leader and a master tactician, appeared charming, thoughtful and patient during the hearing that, with interruptions, lasted almost six hours. In contrast to his ally Natasha “Black Widow” Romanoff, who lost her temper when she testified on Capitol Hill last year and walked out of the room and from the testimony, the Captain appeared open and unperturbed and even answered questions about his and his team member’s private dealings with self-deprecating charm and, occasionally, humor.

There were several more rounds of questions, in which his interrogators manifested all of Washington’s pathologies – dysfunction, partisan squabbling, insularity – in such extreme form that Captain Rogers came across not only as a grownup but as the most normal person in the room.

This is hardly surprising since from the very beginning the subcommittee seemed to exist only to affirm that nobody – except the four people that had actually toppled SHIELD without giving any prior warning – had done anything wrong. People were quick to blame everybody but themselves. People were quick to point out their heroic feats after the damage, the destruction of SHIELD to expose Hydra, had been done. People were quick to create a new era of fear and paranoia in order to give more power to other shadowy intelligence agencies and special task forces. Nobody actually made any mention how all of this could have happened in the first place.

If the committee members had truly wanted to add to the public’s understanding of the events leading up to the fall of SHIELD in such a spectacular manner, they could have delved into the investigation of several incidents in the past decade that should have made other intelligence agencies such as the National Security Agency or the Central Intelligence Agency uneasy to say the least. They could have examined how deeply Hydra had managed to infiltrate every level of power and stayed entrenched and unnoticed for decades. They could also have examined how all branches of the government, but especially the legislative and the executive, had failed in their oversight and control responsibilities.

Instead they went for flashy interrogation techniques and showmanship. The interrogation of Captain America, the mastermind behind the attack that had exposed both SHIELD and Hydra, could have given back some sort of credibility. It could have uncovered some new information. An expert interrogation might have revealed some real facts. But it unearthed nothing about that fateful day in May, because the rounds of questions were so evidently targeted at procedure and supervision and the Avengers in general, not the Captain’s motives or actions. Additionally, the Captain managed to divert the panel very early on, too, and basically dictated the questions at some point. So to this day we do not know why exactly he decided to do things the way he did or how he ended up badly injured on the last helicarrier.

Instead the Captain is the clear victor in all of this. In the end he had everybody eating out of the palm of his hand and managed to portray his team in the best way possible. Everybody agreed that the Avengers are needed for protection, that their expertise in future emergency scenarios will be necessary. Captain Rogers volunteered their full cooperation and managed to appear inclined to establish some sort of oversight to assure that they are a peacekeeping force without any sinister agenda.

While this is certainly a step in the right direction and a comforting thought, it was not the committee’s task and illustrates how little the SHIELD Oversight Committee followed its actual purpose. So hopefully this will be the final chapter of a wasteful and counterproductive exercise that accomplished nothing. Maybe the next full investigation will actually uncover something meaningful about how and why a pillar of the intelligence apparatus managed to be rotten to the core and why the major players on that fateful day in May behaved the way they did.

Captain Rogers is not to blame for this. When the questioning is so amateurish and was cleverly diverted by him early in the process, it is his prerogative to not volunteer information. He, after all, has chosen wisely to have a savvy political advisor by his side.

~*~

Darcy waited for him in a backroom after the hearing had finished six hours later. She smiled up at him. “You did great, Steve,” she told him. “Sometimes I felt like you were the only professional in the room. Or rather the only one without a political agenda.”

He let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. “Really?”

“Really. You were very honest and commanding and non-threatening. Just how the public likes Captain America. And you called me a political expert on national television,” she bumped her shoulder into his, “way to amend my profile! Thanks!”

“Well, it’s true. And I couldn’t leave him labelling you as a ‘busty brunette’ unchallenged, really. It was about time you get the publicity you deserve.”

“And meanwhile distract from the things you really don’t want to talk about,” Darcy said knowingly. “The statement about the sex tape… bold move.”

“Worked out in the end, didn’t it,” Steve shrugged.

“Yeah, you brought the topic towards the Avengers and the missing supervision almost effortlessly. Nobody wanted to know what you had done a year ago and why, they all leaped at the adult supervision.”

“And then I could slowly repeat what we had agreed upon a few weeks ago. That the Avengers are willing to cooperate fully with authorities that we trust as long as they trust us to make the right decisions.”

“I think you brought the point across really well. In the end everybody seemed to agree,” Darcy said thoughtfully. “Mentioning that a group of highly-specialized individuals is willing to help out for free if the need arises certainly helped, too. At the end you basically had them eating out of the palm of your hand.”

“And having it out in public and on record that everybody kind of agrees that the Avengers are a non-threatening front there to protect people when everything else fails was a good thing too,” Steve continued. “Having said that in public is going to open even more backdoors for your and Maria’s negotiations, isn’t it?”

“I knew you were more than just a pretty face,” Darcy grinned. “I am hoping that’s what’s going to happen. I didn’t plan on it, but it would be nice.”

“Like I said, I know how to play the political game. I just don’t like it and I have you for that now.”

“And you introduced my function to the public as well.”

“You better have those business cards printed,” Steve joked, “there’s no turning back now, everybody will know your official function soon. Though…” he added after a moment, “do you want to bet on when the articles about how we are only faking our relationship are starting? Now that you are officially uncovered to be a PR professional?”

“Articles on how we are faking a love affair? Oh, the irony! To reinforce that perception you should always introduce me as your PR person from now on.”

“Oh, you are on!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About the hearing: Usually you have more time to prepare for it and usually you bring your lawyer and everything. And mostly there’s an opening statement involved and the committee members ask you one after another, not all over each other. But then I figured that the first three cases are not in MCU canon anyway (Tony gets presented spontaneously as well in IM2 and Natasha’s testimony is very… different) so I figured “screw this, I’m making up my own hearing”.
> 
> The article about the hearing, the star spangled session, [was heavily inspired by this](http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/11/02/hillarys-moment-at-the-benghazi-hearing).


	20. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's now [additional artwork](http://aoisakai.tumblr.com/post/132785100430/while-working-on-another-shieldshock-vid-i-must) and [a video](http://aoisakai.tumblr.com/post/134263948570/inspired-from-this-wonderful-fic-the-reports) thanks to the amazing [aoisaki](http://aoisakai.tumblr.com/)!

### Chapter 19

**Colour us confused!**

There was not one word about Darcy Lewis from official sources at all for months, so we had to gather most of the information on her by ourselves. But now the Captain is suddenly very chatty about her – and is very insistent on calling her “not his girlfriend”. While we are all happy that they have apparently decided to no longer beat around the bush, we are nevertheless confused about the official wording of his statements. Not his girlfriend? She’s the Avengers’ PR and political liaison? What is that supposed to mean? We’ve come up with three different potential explanations:

#1 – It’s the truth: Because while there are more photos than ever of the two of them together, the two seem friendly with each other but not overly affectionate. No handholding, no hugging and most definitely no kissing. So they could not be dating at all and we’ve all been chasing the wrong story for months. Not very likely, right?

#2 – It’s a case of misinformation: The Avengers deal with confidential and covert stuff after all. So this might be a diversion to cover something up. Darcy is probably in it too: She is confirmed to be the Avengers’ PR person after all. What is this diversion for? We do not know. What we know is that the Captain had to deal with some major flak before his appearance in front of the subcommittee hearing.

#3 – It’s a case of linguistics: Darcy might not be his girlfriend _anymore_! Not because they have broken up, but rather because her status has changed to fiancée or maybe wife already. The Captain is cleverly deflecting further questions about their relationship status with facts about her work status. There are no updates on important fingers on either part of the happy couple but then, see point #2: They deal in covert stuff. They might have married in secret and are now letting us know in a very cheeky, roundabout way.

~*~

“You know, I actually never pictured you all business-like in an office.” The sound of Steve’s voice made Darcy look up from her monitor and she saw that he was standing in the doorframe. She saved the data she had been working on and motioned him to come in.

“I cannot tackle Capitol Hill and the tabloid industry from Jane’s lab,” Darcy pointed out, while Steve came in, took a look around in her office – since she had just moved in and started working there wasn’t much to see – and then sat down in the visitor’s chair. “And it’s the privilege that comes with working with the Avengers. We might be talking about topics that are on a need to know basis. The bullpen outside is not a good spot for classified material.”

“True,” Steve nodded. “Also, not being stuck in a cubicle is perfect really. Perfect for some quality alone time with your superhero boyfriend in your individual office.” He winked at her; nevertheless it took Darcy a moment to catch on.

She leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms in front of her chest and started smiling. “Are you suggesting starting some rumours about some impromptu office christening with my superhero boyfriend? While in public you are telling everybody that asks that I’m not your girlfriend?”

Steve just grinned and shrugged.

“What did you have in mind?” Darcy continued. “I close the door very loudly? Shall I tousle your hair and untuck your shirt and add some of my lipstick to your face? And when we leave together you’ll be all smug and I’ll be all breathless and giggly?”

“Well, it would fit well into the current narrative since our fake tabloid selves have some celebrating to do.”

“Do we now?”

“Yup, the press is one step ahead of us as always and they have seen through our conniving plan,” Steve announced.

“How so?” Darcy reached across her desk for her tea.

“Well,” Steve explained, “since I apparently insist that you are not my girlfriend and you cannot be anything else _but_ my significant other, they’ve decided that you are either my fiancée or my wife already and my sudden insistence on semantics is my announcement in a very sneaky, roundabout way. And, you know, aren’t engaged people or newlyweds supposed to have a lot of celebratory sex?”

Darcy ignored his last statement and rather focused on the wedding rumours. “But my important finger remains all unadorned!” She pretended to look scandalized and wiggled her left hand in front of him. “No diamond rock surrounded by sapphires and rubies. You know, the totally patriotic engagement ring every girl dreams of.”

“Didn’t keep them from reporting it,” Steve pointed out. “We might have forgone rings entirely. Or the PR professional that you are, you are purposefully not wearing it in public. I, for one, am not wearing a ring because it could be dangerous while I’m saving the world. It could get stuck somewhere and I could tear off a finger.”

Darcy snorted into her teacup. “That is a very graphic detail you are bringing up there. Any experience with that? You know, tearing of limbs.”

“Nope, just quoting what I read in the papers.”

“Anything else you would like to share with the class?”

“The details about your bridal bouquet?” Steve suggested.

“Oh, let me hear it, I might use it as inspiration when I’m getting married for real in, like, 15 years in the future?” She took a sip from her cup.

“Well, rumour has it your bridal bouquet was made out of pine cones and tassel, your state flower, and roses, my state flower.”

Darcy spit her tea back into the cup. “Dude, don’t tell me these things while I’m drinking something!”

“You brought it upon yourself.”

“You were doing it on purpose!” Darcy accused him.

“I would do no such a thing.” Steve’s face was the picture of pure innocence.

“You know, I might have fallen for that face had you not made that statement about christening the office not five minutes ago.”

Steve grinned at that. “Anyway,” he then pointed the conversation into another direction, “Jarvis said you wanted to see me? Is this about the hearing?”

“Partially, yes.”

“I’ve been following the news coverage. It’s positive, right?”

“Positive? It’s more like ‘All Hail Captain Awesome Sauce’”, Darcy replied. “You basically nailed it. Even the people not awed by your patient, charming and witty testimony were impressed how well you managed to turn the questioning around.”

“Well,” Steve shrugged, “I was prepared by the best. Even the New Yorker said that I made a smart choice to have a political advisor by my side.”

“And all this after you resisted my well-meant advice so… valiantly at the beginning and even questioned my political expertise,” Darcy grinned.

Steve sighed. “Are you going to bring that up every time?”

“Of course,” Darcy stated like it was the obvious. “I’m never going to let you live that down.”

“So how do you feel about all of this?” Steve then wanted to know. “About successfully covering up our little conspiracy? Are you conflicted that you’re keeping things from the public?”

The question took Darcy by surprise for a moment. “Yes, a little bit,” she then answered honestly. “But then I understand your motives and I am trained to see the bigger picture, so I don’t mind really. And I know for a fact that at some point it will all become public, it was just… not the right time.”

“You already have contingency plans for that, don’t you?” Steve realised. “For when the whole story breaks.”

“Of course.”

“You have several plans,” Steve continued, “depending on how the news will surface. But you’d prefer if I were to make it public myself.”

“No,” Darcy shook her head, “I would prefer it for Bucky to make all of it public himself.”

Steve grimaced at that. “That might never happen. He might never reappear, never return.”

“Don’t give up, Steve,” Darcy said softly. “It doesn’t suit you. And you know, maybe the extended coverage about you might inspire him to make contact,” she joked to cheer him up.

“The only reason for Bucky to return would be to tease me about the tabloid coverage about us two,” Steve shot back, “about the romance of the century that was entirely fabricated. So, back to my original question: I haven’t made you betray your values? Haven’t corrupted you?”

“Captain America corrupting me? _Please_ ,” Darcy joked. “As a matter of fact, I’m about to corrupt you. How do you feel about Twitter?”

Steve looked at her quizzically for a moment. “I… don’t have an opinion?”

“That’s good. How do you feel about @Rogers4Real?”

“What?”

“I looked if the username was still available and it was so I reserved it. @SteveRogers was taken up by a middle aged accountant from Idaho who wanted entirely too much money to relinquish his claim to the Twitter handle. Seriously, where is his patriotism? Anyway-”

“I still don’t get it,” Steve interrupted her.

“Well, we try to keep you in the spotlight a little bit, as a distraction and to, you know, amend your profile. You have a lot of visibility from the hearing a few days ago and my idea is that we should utilise it. You surprised with your witty attitude, so what better way to show them that you are not what people expect you to see and make you more approachable.”

“Um, okay…” Steve said slowly. “But what would I do?”

“I don’t know… be yourself. You have opinions, state them. Post cat videos. Pictures of the Independence Day fireworks with a snarky comment about your birthday. You can be less the icon and more the sassmaster.”

“Anything I shouldn’t do?”

“Publicly comment on our… on your love life? Or any other PR stuff that might interfere with my work.”

“Well, that’s really broad and also really specific… Something can go wrong quickly. Do you really think it’s a good thing?”

“Yes.” Darcy nodded emphatically. “Remember at the beginning of our acquaintance I said that the reason people lunged at our story because they wanted to know more about Captain America and the Avengers? So your love life was a very welcome topic. But we can give them a little more about you and social media is a way to control what we want to give them or not. And it can very well be used as a distraction should the need arise. Or to set some records straight. It’s a powerful communication tool. So think about it and once you are up for it, give me your okay.”

“Okay,” Steve stated.

“Okay?” Darcy repeated, surprised that he had agreed so quickly. She had expected more of an uphill battle from him. “You are not going to ask for motives and pros and cons a little longer to make an informed decision?”

“No, you are the expert and I trust your opinion. I am going to try this out. I can do all the public social media stuff. You do what you do best and work in the background.”

“Great!” Darcy exclaimed. “Come around my desk. I got your account set up and verified so you can compose your first tweet. Jarvis will take care setting your account up on your phone. And once we have you established on Twitter I’m going to set you up on Tumblr. Ostensibly for all the art that you are drawing, but honestly I just want to lure you to the dark side.”

~*~

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

America, this is your Captain speaking and THIS IS YOUR CAPTAIN SHOUTING!

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@historiansrule does that answer one of you questions [http://bit.ly/1POtta3](http://overdose-affliction.tumblr.com/post/116233205808/heres-a-friendly-psa-from-captain-america-to)

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@historiansrule or let me put it this way: BACK IN MY DAY WE DIDN’T HAVE YOUR UNNATURAL VACCINES, WE JUST HAD POLIO AND IT SUCKED

Evangeline James @historiansrule

OMG Captain America just tweeted at me

Evangeline James @historiansrule

And he included a tumblr link #dying

Melanie Angie @melangeB

@Rogers4Real Aren’t you worried about your image? “@historiansrule does that answer one of you questions [http://bit.ly/1POtta3](http://overdose-affliction.tumblr.com/post/116233205808/heres-a-friendly-psa-from-captain-america-to)”

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@melangeB I’d have to ask Darcy, she’s in charge of my image

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@melangeB Update: she laughed at me because apparently that picture is a meme?

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

Tag your questions with #historicalcapquestions and I will answer them as best as possible

Fran @fiora_miriel

#historicalcapquestions any major grievances with the howling commandos HBO show?

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@fiora_miriel the actor portraying Bucky wasn’t handsome enough

The hero we deserve @heroforhire

#historicalcapquestions Did they have lego when you grew up?

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@heroforhire Not lego, but we had Erector and Bild-O-Brik

Stephen Colbert @StephenAtHome

#historicalcapquestions The Hobbit was first published in 1937. Did you ever manage to read it back in the day?

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@StephenAtHome YES! I loved it! Caught up with the rest of Tolkien’s work after I woke up.

Leslie K. @officialleslie

#historicalcapquestions Did you really have an affair with Ginger Rogers?

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@officialleslie hahahahaha, what? No

Not Bruce Banner @greendangerous

#historicalcapquestions Best thing about the USO tour

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@greenndangerous The ladies taught me how to French braid. And a lot of other helpful stuff. A lot.

Reece @mrrobot

#historicalcapquestions Did you really use condoms to protect your rifles?

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@mrrobot Yup and to prevent water damage on Dernier’s explosives. And fun fact: SOE agents could use condoms to garrotte people

Hermione @MCHummer

#historicalcapquestions What did the Commandos tease you for the most?

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@MCHummer about all the accidents that happened while I was still learning how to use the shield. And about Agent Carter.

Z. @alohomora

@Rogers4Real Biggest surprise in the 21st century?

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@alohomora Bananas tasting differently.

From the Q continuum @bluepilot

@Rogers4Real Boxers or briefs?

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@bluepilot a Commando goes commando :-P

Ginger Boy R @RufusG

@Rogers4Real TMZ says they have your sex tape

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@RufusG Finally! I’ve been submitting it to them for months. And I mentioned it in a goddamn official congressional hearing, too!

Anonymous source @humanknapsack

Saw @Rogers4Real jogging through Central Park this morning. How does his shirt even fit? #PecsOfFreedom #Imnotcomplaining

Melinda @melisecondsnow

@Rogers4Real looks like his hugs are really warm and soft and safe and that’s all that matters

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@melisecondsnow Thanks! They used to be very sharp and bony, so another added benefit of the serum!

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

“You want me to flex and make all the buttons pop off of my shirt?”

“Yes! You can do that?”

“The challenge is keeping the buttons on.”

HulkFYeah @hulkingfeline

@Rogers4Real I think I’m hallucinating because I’m pretty sure I just heard your biceps mocking me.

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@hulkingfeline No, that’s possible. My biceps mock a lot of people.

Daily Ledger @Daily Ledger

Are we sure that Captain America is running his own twitter account @Rogers4Real? He’s just… too witty? Too pop culture savvy? Too normal?

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@Daily Ledger You caught us. This twitter is run by 5 kittens in a trench coat.

~*~

**10 People we can’t wait to see in pregnancy fashion**

#6 – Darcy Lewis, girlfriend to Captain America

Stepping into the spotlight in a rather unconventional way, Darcy has become quite the high-flying fashionista this past year. During the past months we’ve seen her develop her own quirky style on plenty of occasions: When she’s sporting her everyday wear (including her customary Ray Ban sunglasses to hold off pestering paparazzi) during her excursions into the city with the Captain or without him, when she’s mixing professional pinstripes with upbeat accessories during day job as a PR professional and when she’s being all elegant at night as Captain America’s significant other. So the next step is obviously Darcy in pregnancy fashion – seeing how the relationship with the Captain has become increasingly more serious, leading to some people getting ready for wedding rumours already.

Also, if she were expecting, we couldn’t wait for the baby to be born already. The Captain being all adorable with a baby girl or baby boy in tow? Think about it. We dare you.

~*~

When Darcy arrived in the communal kitchen after work Clint and Tony were there, tormenting Steve over his new-found celebrity status on Twitter, while he tried to read a book.

“Did Darcy explain everything to you or do I have to remind you to make sure to deactivate the GPS tracking for the Twitter app? We don’t want the bad guys to know where you are or if you are headed their way,” Tony teased.

Steve answered with a long-suffering sigh and then simply said: “Thanks, I am well aware.”

“Good,” Tony nodded approvingly. “So, how many marriage proposals and other unsavoury offers did you get?” he then asked.

Steve actually blushed at that, but didn’t answer but instead tried to continue reading.

“Too many to count,” Clint answered in his stead. “He got at least one marriage proposal from a supermodel. I quote @karliekloss: ‘@Rogers4Real Marry me, you handsome fellow, will you?’”

“We should get Darcy on Twitter and then they can start a feud,” Tony said, rubbing his hands gleefully.

“You guys seriously have no idea what celebrity girlfriends have to endure on social media, do you?” Darcy interrupted their conversation. Steve threw her a grateful look for the interference. “Feuding with Karlie Kloss would be the least of my problems.”

“What?” Tony turned around to look at her, frowning. “Why?”

“Oh Tony,” Darcy said, shaking her head. “Have you ever asked Pepper about this? Or have Jarvis run a search algorithm on the internet for this? There are a lot of celebrity plus ones who get death threats more often than not – apart from the usual hate,” Darcy said. “And while it’s all on the internet and in social media and such, I really don’t want to ruin my day by having to look at that on a regular basis.”

“Well, I personally think that’s the wrong attitude,” Clint countered, taking a sip from his coffee.

“What?” Darcy glared at him enough to make him squirm. “Please mansplain your attitude, Clint, I can _barely_ wait.”

“Hey, I was just making fun,” Clint defended himself. “Geez, this is like the first time we met all over again.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yes! I was not being serious.”

“Sure you weren’t,” Darcy said sarcastically.

“I was joking, honestly. I mean, if I were a celebrity girlfriend I would _live_ for all the hate I’d get on the internet,” Clint stated like it was obvious. “Every now and then I would take an evening alone at home and pour myself a nice glass of wine and then go on Twitter to see what people are writing about me. And then I’d go to some other pages like TMZ or Perez and read the comments. And then I’d cackle like mad and wait for my famous lover to return home to screw him into the mattress.”

Darcy stared at him with her mouth hanging open for a moment. “Thank for your contribution, Clint.”

“Think about it, I bet it’s actually cathartic,” he pointed out, to which Tony nodded thoughtfully.

Darcy looked between the two men. “I’ll give it a pass,” she then said, deadpan.

“Darcy, I’m telling you, you should have some fun with the celebrity culture at least,” Clint said, causing Darcy to roll her eyes at him. “Maybe you should wear something ill-fitting,” he then added.

Darcy looked at him confusedly at the change of topic. “Sorry, what? More ill-fitting than college sweaters and jeans?”

“I mean for your next official outing. And the one after that, maybe for a few weeks. You don’t have some Empire-waist dresses at hand, do you?”

“And why would I do that?” Darcy looked at him expectantly, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

“To hide the baby bump, obviously.”

“You are far too obsessed with that.”

“Come on, it’s going to be fun! Cap, back me up here. You can make some supposedly subconscious protective gestures towards Darcy’s abdomen if you are up for it.”

“You want me to back you up in persuading Darcy to start rumours about her being pregnant with presumably my child? I’d rather not,” was Steve’s dry response.

“Spoilsport.”

Steve just raised an eyebrow, entirely unimpressed, turning a page in the book he was reading.

“Darcy, really, wouldn’t it be fun to beat them at their own game? I mean, you just have to wear really concealing clothes for a few weeks. People would go nuts, the press would go rampant with speculation. Imagine the collective gasp at the thought of Captain America having a child out of wedlock! And then you just have to appear in like… really tight leather pants… or post a selfie in a bikini or something. It would be marvellous.” Clint stared thoughtfully into the space for a moment, daydreaming.

“Since you seem to have this all figured out,” Darcy said, sarcasm dripping from every syllable, “you can wait until you are in a stable relationship and arrange this with your partner then. I’m not doing any of it.”

“You are no fun,” Clint said accusatorily. “And you guys are making less fun of your tabloid portrayal these days. Is it because they are actually hitting close to home?”

“What?” Darcy exclaimed and even Steve looked up from his book to stare at Clint. “Nope,” Darcy then answered, “it just gets old very quickly. We are not all as obsessed with celebrity culture as you are.”

“Well,” Clint shrugged. “If you don’t go for the pregnancy plan then you two are probably headed for ‘trouble in paradise’ next.”

“I don’t think so,” Steve chimed in, “I believe the current consensus is that we just got engaged or are getting engaged or married very soon?” He looked at Darcy who just shrugged. “I think somebody asked me on Twitter if Darcy would hyphenate.”

“And, would you?” Tony grinned.

“No, Steve would totally become Mr. Lewis,” she shot back.

“Do I want to know the background for that statement?” asked Pepper as she stepped into the room.

“You really don’t,” Darcy answered.

“Okay, but since you are very apparently talking about your tabloid profile: This was delivered for you,” Pepper said, handing an envelope to Darcy. “You made another one of these lists.”

“Oh, which one?” Darcy said excitedly. “Forbes 30 under 30? World’s Most Powerful Women? Top 10 celebrities with a sinister agenda?”

“No, it’s not about you alone,” Pepper said.

“Oh, did you and I finally make the most intense New York Rivalries?”

“No, it’s about you and Steve,” Pepper explained further.

“Seriously?” Darcy said, disappointed. “Again? I’m running out of options here since we were already voted on top of most anticipated celebrity weddings in 2015 and I was no. 6 of celebrities we can’t wait to see in pregnancy fashion. So what else can it be? Top 10 shocking revelations about Captain America? The Captain America Year in Pictures?”

“Just look at it, will you? The suspense is killing me,” Clint said, winking at her.

Darcy took the magazine out of the envelope and looked at it. “Top 10 arm candy?” she said, disappointed. “People actually decide on this? And here I was thinking that my respect for the state of our media couldn’t sink any lower.”

“What does it say?” Steve asked, who had by now given up his reading and put his book aside.

“‘#3 Darcy Lewis’,” Darcy read out loud. “‘We hardly need to explain who Darcy is, she’s been one of the most featured faces around here these past months. But for those of you who live under a rock: She’s Captain America’s significant other (girlfriend, fiancée, wife – depending on who you ask). And she definitely upped his profile in the last months. Because let’s face it: While the Captain is probably the best shot we’ll ever get at a real life Adonis, he at times looked like a lost puppy all alone on the red carpet.’”

“Very true,” Clint threw in.

“‘Which also serves to illustrate our next point: The Captain is one of the few on the list who doesn’t need arm candy! Have you seen the way he fills out a tux (or any other garment)? So Darcy is probably less of arm candy, but more of a bodyguard against women throwing themselves at him shamelessly.’

The last part is kind of true,” Darcy conceded. “I mean these past few weeks the coverage about me has become more positive, but it’s still disappointing that people judge me just by my looks,” she then said half-jokingly.

“You are the only non-model or non-actress on the list,” Pepper pointed out.

“Oh, let me see that,” Tony said, making gimme-motions with his hands. He perused the page quickly. “I’m very well-acquainted with no. 2, no. 7 and no. 9,” he then announced.

Pepper coughed very pointedly.

“Did I say well-acquainted? I meant to say superficially acquainted. I just recognized them by their names.”

“Speaking of recognizing them by their names: Steve should know no. 6 very well,” Clint, who had read the page over Tony’s shoulder, said cheekily.

“Does he now?” Darcy said, looking at Steve expectantly, whose face had turned into a very impressive shade of crimson.

“It’s not what Clint makes it out to be,” he finally managed to say.

“What was it then?” Darcy asked.

“She was at one of those charity shindigs a few years ago and she didn’t want to take no for an answer and at some point Natasha had to step in and do what she does best. You know, be beautiful and terrifying. Scare her away.”

Darcy raised her eyebrows at that. “You are telling me that you needed the Black Widow to save you from a social climber? Captain America couldn’t handle it on his own?”

“She was very persuasive with her… assets,” Steve stuttered. “And I was just, you know, overwhelmed.”

“Too much woman for you to handle?” Darcy said.

“I had literally just woken up in this brave new world,” Steve defended himself. “I had no idea how to handle anybody. Let alone a very… determined woman.”

“Aw, you are adorable, everybody else would just have taken advantage,” Darcy said to which both Clint and Tony nodded knowingly.

“The real question is,” Clint said. “Does Steve know how to handle these women now?”

Everybody at the table looked at him expectantly. “I don’t know,” Steve just said. “That’s what I have Darcy for.”

“So I practically _am_ your social bodyguard. Finally the papers get at least something about me right.”

~*~

**5 Reasons Why Darcy and Steve are the Perfect Couple**

#1 They are refreshingly normal  
She might brush shoulders with the political and social elite and he might save the world on a regular basis but they are the most themselves when it’s just the two of them, exploring the city. As a matter of fact, thanks to #CapSpotting we know that instead of at five star restaurants and society functions you will most likely find them together standing in line to get into the newest exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art or at the food truck around the corner.

#2 She is more than just a superhero’s plus one  
Plenty of girls would be content to be a superhero’s arm candy – Darcy isn’t. She hasn’t given up her own ambitions and does not hide her abilities or her opinions. Darcy is smart and capable, which not only makes one of the most powerful people worldwide (realmwide?) completely besotted with her, it also makes her an awesome role model for other young girls. The superhero factor does not seem to matter for her to begin with, she is more focused on the human factor: She treats Steve (and his friends!) like regular people, not like superheroes.

#3 Even their candids are Vogue worthy  
While we can certainly appreciate the two of them in formal wear on occasions, have you seen the two out and about lately, enjoying the great spring weather in NYC these days? With the posture and the sunglasses and the perfect outfits (Darcy especially looks cute as a button – and it’s all affordable and off the racks) those pictures could definitely also used be for a high quality fashion spread.

#4 He is totally whipped  
Even though he is a superhero and the leader of a pack called “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” it is obvious that he considers her to be his equal and that he gladly confers with her opinions. What is the quote again: _A strong man can handle a strong woman. A weak man will say she has an attitude._

#5 The nicknames  
By now we’ve overheard quite a few. She calls him Captain Disney Prince (teasingly) and Captain Handsome for starters. He goes old-fashioned with “Doll” or “Sweetheart”. But our favourite: his low-murmured “Miss Lewis” that makes us think she will not be Miss Lewis for much longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, that is Stephen Colbert's real life Twitter handle asking Captain America a question about a Tolkien work. He obviously never did this in real life, but I couldn't resist. And obviously Karlie Kloss never tweeted anything of the kind, but I had to chose a real life model on Twitter at that time of writing. @historiansrule is the same person that wrote the article about Steve in chapter 6. There are a lot of other pop culture references in that section, too, in case you were wondering. Other than that, the tweets were inspired by the following:
> 
> Steve’s link for the polio tweet is clickable, but just to be safe, it led to [this page.](http://overdose-affliction.tumblr.com/post/116233205808/heres-a-friendly-psa-from-captain-america-to)
> 
> Steve's all caps polio tweet is from [here](http://actualmenacebuckybarnes.tumblr.com/post/92904817407/i-thought-about-it-but-i-cant-put-it-into) (I love that headcanon!)
> 
> [The source](http://superhumandisasters.tumblr.com/post/124519336581/intosnarkness-moviefanjen-it-just-occured-to) for Erector and Bild-O-Brik
> 
> The one with the hugs is from [this tumblr post](http://evansgifs.tumblr.com/post/124328469060/samsteves-chris-evans-looks-like-his-hugs-are)
> 
> The one with the sex tape was inspired [by this](http://rainnecassidy.tumblr.com/post/125599461349).


	21. Chapter 20

### Chapter 20

**The reaction to Captain America’s girlfriend – Darcy and why we are in no position to judge**  
by Elsa Thomasi | @etcom137

I have tried to stay out of this, I really have, because whatever Captain America does in his private life is – as we should all respect – private. But none of the arguments and reactions over the past weeks and months have really abated and it’s getting increasingly difficult to remain silent, so I’m adding my two cents. But I’m not focussing on him, I’m focussing on her.

Okay, let me get this out of the way first: Booohoooo, yes, America’s hottest specimen is no longer up for grasps. He fell for a normal person, too. Good for him! If he’s happy, we should be happy and leave it at that. But seriously, people, the reaction over this? _Embarrassing_. I’m not saying it’s a betrayal of the sisterhood, but grown women hating on or – in a weakened form – judging another woman harshly for dating a guy: not our finest hour.

I mean, I obviously cannot reason with the haters, but have you noticed that whatever this couple does, people immediately scream that _she_ was all wrong? Whereas the Captain could do no wrong whatsoever? He obviously was innocent in all of this, a victim to whatever Darcy manipulated him into? That’s at least how it looked like when you came across the prevalent arguments.

You have probably guessed my opinion on this (these arguments are crazy), but let me put it this way: Are we really comfortable to insinuate a total lack of agency on his (World War II veteran, a superhero, covert operative, master tactician, leader of “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” and whatnot) part? When there’s always two in a relationship?

Let’s start with the most commonly cited “problem” that people perceive in their relationship: the obvious “lack of affection” between the two of them. We’ve seen the most common grievances cited here: Darcy is obviously a frigid, cold-hearted bitch. She’s not really into him. She’s using him as a step stool on her way to fame and money and you can tell by her icy behaviour.

First of all: Who are we to judge their interaction anyway? Secondly: Maybe PDA is just not their thing? Thirdly: Why is it Darcy’s fault? Let me remind you that the Captain comes from a different era where PDA was not really on the table. So maybe it’s not Darcy’s choice at all.

Also, let’s put it this way: I can come up with 1,000 reasons for judgement had they behaved the complete opposite in public, full blown affection with kissing and wandering hands and loud exclamations about their everlasting love. Then we would all have claimed that Darcy is seriously overselling their fairytale romance. That Darcy is dragging the good, stoic Captain down to the dark side with behaviour like horny teenagers. Darcy, you slut, keep it in your pants! Your lovey-dovey is not convincing anybody – what are you hiding, Darcy?

I think you get my overall meaning: Darcy is in a position where she can only lose. And she has lost so much already. Not only the shit he has to put up with from the Captain America/Avengers fandom but also the public scrutiny, her private details being revealed, her character being called into question, her friends (or let’s say: acquaintances) selling her out.

So, the essentials of my article are: Please stop judging Darcy, she is, after all, one of us.

I also want to add another angle: Darcy knew all this beforehand – especially now that we know that she deals with PR and political aspects on a daily basis. She went into it willingly and she has put up with a lot of stuff. But she has handled all this with grace and poise and her very own style. She remained next to the Captain when many of us would have run away screaming from the pressure. And if that doesn’t spell love to you, then please don’t bother arguing.

~*~

The call for assistance came at 2 in the morning. It wasn’t a call to assemble per se, as Maria told Steve over coms, while he gathered his stuff, but a local Hydra cell was acting up in Estonia and the government had requested assistance – but more covertly, which is why they specifically requested Iron Man, the Hulk and Thor to not be involved. Maria had yet to go through all the information, but it was more infiltration and covert ops so she prepared the team for a longer stay and not for a quick in, publicly defeat bad guys and out within less than 24 hours.

Steve nodded and packed accordingly while Maria woke up Sam, who was in town for a few days and sleeping in Steve’s guestroom, to ask him along for aerial support and Clint, who could help as well and hopefully also reach out to Natasha, because her expertise would be valuable for this kind of mission.

Steve was still trying to get into his uniform, when Sam knocked at his door. He surveyed Steve wrestling with the clasps of his harness for a second and tried (and failed) to hide his grin, before he spoke up.

“Clint is warming up the jet and I’ll get coms and electronic support and all the other stuff we need from the weaponry. Meet you at the landing pad in ten? If you are done by then, I mean.”

Steve just threw him a dirty look, making Sam cackle, before he left the room. It took Steve only a few minutes to get ready though and he was out of the door and on his way to the landing pad, when he glanced at the door to Darcy’s apartment at the other side of the hallway.

His feet carried him to her door on his own volition and before he knew it he’d knocked on her door. It was silent inside the apartment for a long time and the longer he waited, the more anxious Steve became. This was stupid, he berated himself, she was probably fast asleep and anyway, she’d get the mission brief from Maria and/or Jarvis first thing in the morning. There had been no need to wake her up and tell her personally. And he would only be gone for a few days, two weeks maximum, he estimated, so it was not as if they needed a clichéd emotional goodbye. They were just friends anyway.

Steve was almost about to turn around to make his way to the jet, when he heard light padding behind the door and then it opened and Darcy appeared in front of him. He registered her heavy lidded eyes and her pyjamas and immediately felt guilty about waking her.

Darcy looked at him sleepily for a moment, squinted at his face because she wasn’t wearing her glasses, then she looked up and down at him and when she registered the uniform her eyes widened noticeably. “Steve?” she just asked, looking back up at his face.

“Don’t worry,” he calmed her down immediately, “no imminent danger but I have to leave for a few days, maybe a couple of weeks.”

“Oh.” He couldn't ignore the tone of her voice.

“Yeah, just, Maria will probably fill you in in the morning but just, so you know.”

She still looked up at him blearily. “Is this about Bucky?” she then asked much to his surprise.

“Oh, no, we were called to smoke out a Hydra cell in north Eastern Europe,” Steve explained.

“Okay… And you are telling me this why?”

“Well,” Steve scratched the back of his head nervously, “the last time I went on covert ops for a couple of weeks you and I suddenly had an epic whirlwind love affair to end all love affairs. So I better not return to you and me being tabloid married and having two kids.”

She grinned up at him. “I’ll try my best. And since you are taking Clint with you…” she trailed off and stared at him in silence, probably expecting a witty comeback, but he looked at her searchingly for a second, not sure what else to say.

“Well, I really have to leave,” Steve explained, gesturing the direction he was supposed to head. “Goodbye Darcy.”

She bit her lip and thought for a moment. “Goodbye Steve,” she said quietly. Then – to his surprise – she got on her tiptoes and softly kissed his cheek. “Take care.”

Darcy got back down, but didn’t take her hand from his arm. She looked back up at him and they stared into each others’ eyes for a moment until Steve’s gaze fell to her mouth. He could hear Darcy’s sharp intake of breath and see the colour creeping into her cheeks. It would be easy, Steve realised, to just lean forward and kiss her. Easy to make this more of an emotional goodbye. Easy to break the lines and ruin their friendship. Too easy and too tempting. He took a shallow breath and leaned forward. He registered that Darcy leaned towards him as well and he put a hand on her hip.

“Steve,” Sam called as he came dashing around the corner, breaking the moment and making Steve and Darcy jump apart. He stared at the two of them for a few seconds. “You were running late,” he said awkwardly.

“Yeah,” Steve gathered his wayward thoughts, “you take care as well, Darcy.”

He nodded at her and followed Sam towards the landing pad without looking back.

~*~

They were halfway over the Atlantic when Sam sat down next to Steve, who was reading the mission briefs Maria had sent to his tablet, and regarded Steve for a few minutes, without saying anything.

“What?” Steve finally said, unnerved.

“I totally interrupted a moment there, didn’t I?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Steve automatically replied.

“Right,” Sam just said. “But just out of curiosity: Do you want to tell me why you felt the desperate need to say goodbye to Darcy or should I make my own assumptions?”

“She’s my friend,” Steve said, knowing full well that this answer would not satisfy Sam at all.

“You don’t usually bother waking a friend at 2 in the morning just to say goodbye,” Sam insisted, but Steve didn’t answer. “Also, you two looked like you were about to kiss, so…”

Steve refused to answer and Sam sighed deeply. “Come on, talk to me Steve. Come on, come on, come on.”

Steve continued to ignore Sam and read on.

“Well,” Sam said lightly, “then I guess I’ll have to make my own assumptions, like that you went to see her because her face was the last one you wanted to see before you left. And that you almost kissed her goodbye, too. And that you want more from her than friendship, that you are madly, desperately in love with her.”

“I am not!” Steve protested and then glared at Sam, because he had gotten a reaction out of him.

“Sure?”

“Yes,” Steve emphasised.

“What if she wanted it though? What if she returned your feelings?”

“What feelings? I’m not in love with her,” Steve repeated.

“And denial is a river in Egypt, I heard.”

Steve refused to answer and instead continued reading.

“What I don’t get,” Sam mused loudly. “Why are you protesting? Why are you denying your feelings? You are clearly happier with her and you are usually not that risk averse. I mean, for god’s sake, you throw yourself out of planes without a freaking parachute, so… why not with Darcy?”

“I’m happy with what I have,” Steve simply stated.

“Oh, that’s what it is! You don’t want to ruin it because of your… passionate history. You are afraid that you are going to screw it up like you did the first time and that Darcy is not feeling the same way about you and is going to reject you and that you will be left with nothing.”

Steve continued to read in silence and was grateful that Sam had apparently enough of trying to gauge Steve’s feelings.

“Would you give me that for a moment?” Sam asked after a while, pointing at Steve’s tablet.

Steve looked at him quizzically but then handed it over. Sam just had it in his hands for a few moments and then thrust it back into Steve’s hands with an online article on display. It was the article “The reaction to Captain America’s girlfriend – Darcy and why we are in no position to judge” he had read just a few days ago and then decided to ignore.

“Any thoughts on that?” Sam asked expectantly. “I know you’ve read the article because Natasha sent it to all of us.”

“It’s a very good take on the sexism in celebrity culture,” Steve said.

“It’s about you and Darcy,” Sam objected.

“It’s about how women have it so much worse in the public eye, using me and Darcy as an example,” Steve disagreed.

“Have you even read the last paragraph?” Sam asked incredulously. “You know, the part where the author stated that her being by your side through all this and enduring the hell out of it is basically a declaration of love.”

That was exactly the part Steve had been trying very hard to ignore.

“Steve,” Sam said patiently, “I can really only fathom what makes you behave the way you do – even though I have a pretty good guess, I think. But please, as a level-headed person I beg you: We are at a point where the tabloids – and random people on the internet! – see what’s going on between you better than the two of you. Think about it.”

~*~

Darcy never managed to get back to sleep after being woken up by a fully suited-up superhero in the middle of the night. She told herself that it was only worry for a friend and the unknown situation that made her restless and anxious. Because even though Steve had appeased her immediately that nothing too risky was happening, she nevertheless had started to worry and her mind had conjured one worse-case scenario after another. She idly wondered how Jane and Pepper fared when Thor or Tony were called up in the middle of the night – or at any time, really.

It had been the first time she’d seen Steve in his uniform, too. In his tactical stealth suit that was. Obviously she had known about his other, very colourful Captain America uniform, since it had been featured a lot in the coverage about the Battle of New York, but the blue stealth suit he was wearing now, with the leather harness to carry his shield on his back, she had never seen before.

Steve had looked dangerous and capable; like somebody you didn’t mess with if you valued your life. And the uniform had also altered the way he carried himself. He seemed more determined; he stood up straighter; his shoulders seemed broader. In uniform he was the leader, the commander, who was used to his orders being obeyed. She now fully understood why Captain America had worked in covert and high risk missions for SHIELD and why he was the leader of the Avengers.

She got up early in the morning to find Jane, who was, according to Jarvis, already in the labs to see how she was dealing with Thor being away. Darcy was surprised to find her in the labs with Tony, standing a few feet away from a new machine Tony was currently trying – and failing – to install while Jane watched him in amusement.

“Tony’s still here?” Darcy asked Jane as she handed her a cup of coffee, which Jane took gratefully.

Jane looked at her, confused. “Yes? Why shouldn’t he be?”

“I’d thought he’d gone with Steve, like all the Avengers, accompanying him on the mission he left for last night.”

“No, it’s just Steve, Clint and Sam that went – and supposedly the Black Widow is going to meet up with them in Estonia. Didn’t Jarvis tell you all this? He told me and Thor the mission brief first thing in the morning.”

“No, Jarvis didn’t give me a mission brief, probably because I got the intel about the mission from Steve already.”

“From Steve already?” Jane echoed and eyed Darcy suspiciously. “Didn’t he leave in the middle of the night?”

“Yeah,” Darcy shrugged, “but he stopped by to say goodbye.”

“At 2 in the morning?” Jane asked incredulously. “He stopped by your apartment?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, okay… interesting,” Jane said knowingly.

Darcy squinted at her. “What the hell are you implying?”

“Did he just stop by or were you with him at 2 anyway?”

It took Darcy a moment to register. “You think I’m sleeping with Steve?”

“Yes.”

“No!” Darcy protested immediately. “I am not!”

“Really? Hey, I’m not judging. Because you guys actually are a cute couple. And you are thick as thieves anyway.”

“We are friends,” Darcy emphasised.

“Don’t tell me you wouldn’t jump him if the opportunity arose.”

“…No!”

“You hesitated!” Jane said accusingly.

“Because he’s a fine specimen and… aesthetically pleasing,” Darcy defended herself, “not because I have feelings for him.”

“Denial is a river in Egypt, I heard.”

“Very funny, Jane.”

Jane looked at Darcy seriously for a moment. “I mean it,” she then said evenly. “And think about it: Even though the two of you insist that you are just friends and try to elude the very obvious matchmaking from the guys around here, the fact is: You two are basically exclusive.” Darcy glared at her, which Jane ignored entirely, sipping from her coffee cup. “And you have amazing chemistry,” Jane added after a moment.

“As I said, we are friends and I am content with that,” Darcy insisted.

Jane squinted at her. “Are you sure you are happy with what you have with Steve? Because at some point one of you will move on, has to move on and if Steve realises this earlier than you then you will be left alone and maybe ask yourself ‘What if?’”

~*~

Darcy kept herself busy and occupied over the next few days and definitely did not spend too much time thinking or worrying about Steve. At all. She had a lot of work to do and meetings to attend and together with Maria made some headway in negotiations about how the Avengers could lend their expertise in an official function. The fact that their involvement in a Hydra takedown on Estonia had already made its way into the backchannels of the intelligence community could certainly help their cause – if the mission was successful.

The group was on radio silence, too, now that the actual takedown was much closer, so there would be no updates except for emergencies, which Darcy prayed would not happen.

Nevertheless, she became the object of unwelcome comments from the people left behind at the tower, mostly Tony and Jane though, who had gotten it into their heads that she was mopey and irritable because she was missing Steve.

“You know what, Lewis, you are a lot moodier ever since Steve went away,” Tony commented one morning. “Are you moping because you miss your tabloid hubby? You are a tabloid grass widow!”

“Very funny, Tony,” Darcy shot back.

“Case in point. If it weren’t for your obvious gloom you would totally have made a witty remark to shut me up.”

“No, I just don’t want to give your… hallucinations any undue attention.”

Tony regarded her searchingly for a moment. “You know that everything is going to be fine, right?” he then said softly, much to Darcy’s surprise. “Steve will be back before you know it. Safe and sound.” He paused for a moment and then got up. “And then you two can continue to pretend that you are totally not dating and persuade yourself that you don’t have feelings above friendship for each other,” he added before he sauntered out of the room.

The thing was: As much as she tried not to be dejected and be her usual happy self: yes, she was missing Steve. She missed his snark and his deadpan humour and his kindness and the warm hugs and the way he looked at her and shared his thoughts and feelings with her. And she didn’t want to tell anybody because she knew that Tony and Jane would have a field day if she shared her thoughts.

But Steve was the only friend who would go out exploring the city with her. Making fun of the paparazzi that followed them around wasn’t really an option with anybody else. She had gone with Thor for coffee once but he hadn’t really gotten the appeal of trying to gauge which made-up stories both in tabloids and on social media they would generate with the pictures of their excursion. Darcy also didn’t even check her news mention that much because she knew that the tabloids would make or probably were already making a story out of it, because she continued her normal life while Steve was away and would continuously be seen out and about without him.

In her search of a diversion she even called her parents to check what was going on back home, though the conversation also quickly took its usual turn.

“Any news on the tabloid front you want to update me about?” her mother asked not five minutes into their conversation. “Because Debbie said that supposedly you are getting engaged and rumour has it that you are dashing to the altar because you are pregnant already. Though,” her mother said thoughtfully, “I don’t know where she gets that. I haven’t read anything so far in the quality tabloids, like People and UsWeekly. Debby should stop reading the National Enquirer or these shady internet blogs or whatever. That is, unless you’ve called to tell me that it’s true?”

Darcy sighed deeply. “No mom, I’m not pregnant. And I’m not marrying Captain America either.”

“Oh, sweetie, good. It’s not the right time. You are both young; you two still have lots of time. And Andrew would be really mad if we didn’t get to meet him before he pops the question.”

“We are not even dating,” Darcy clarified.

“Keep telling yourself that. Are you seeing anybody else?”

“No, but that is because I don’t have the time,” Darcy insisted.

“No, it’s because you are with _Steve_ all the time,” her mother pointed out. “You two are basically exclusive.”

“Have you been talking to Jane?” Darcy asked suspiciously.

“No and don’t try to change the topic. You are seen with him in public so frequently. You definitely spent a lot of time with him. And you are not even trying to make it appear casual. Don’t try to tell me that it’s all blown up by the press. Pictures don’t lie, my dear.”

“Clearly, you have never heard of photoshop,” was Darcy’s deadpan reply.

“Very funny, daughter of mine. But I do my own research and clearly you avoid PDA and the like on official occasions but you cannot _photoshop_ the way he looks at you. And you at him. Oh, your father has just arrived! Andrew, say hello,” Darcy’s mother was now talking to her father. “I’m just giving our stubborn daughter relationship advice.”

“When will we meet your young man?” she could hear her father holler in the background.

“He’s not _my_ young man!” Darcy yelled back into the phone.

“There’s no need to shout, sweetie. We are just curious, that’s all. He seems like a really nice boy. We would love to meet him.”

“Meeting the parents will open a whole other can of worms for the paparazzi. We are not doing that. He’s a friend. That’s all.”

“Are you still pretending not to date?” her father asked. Her mother had apparently put her on speaker now.

“We are not pretending.”

“Doesn’t look that way in the pictures,” her father pointed out.

“Yes,” her mother chimed in. “If a man looked at me like that I’d probably spontaneously combust. That smouldering gaze in those pictures… I need to fan myself. And you cannot fake that. The smouldering I mean, not the fanning.”

“I’m stopping this conversation now.”

“Because we are hitting too close to home.” Darcy could practically hear the smugness in her father’s voice.

“I will not condescend that with an answer.”

“Whatever you tell yourself, sweetie,” her mom said. “I’m just saying that he as a Cancer is an excellent match for you, the Leo.”

“I’m hanging up, now!”

“Don’t let me hear about your real engagement from the papers,” was the last sentence she could hear her father say before she hung up.

The truth was, Darcy had tried to ignore it as best as she could, but the more time she had to herself and the more time she had to think, she had to admit to herself that there might be something between her and Steve. There had definitely been a charged moment when he’d said goodbye and she wasn’t sure what would have happened if Sam hadn’t appeared. It had looked as if Steve was going to kiss her and she would have let him, too.

But on the other hand she could have totally misunderstood him as well. It was her first time of seeing him go on a mission, maybe it was just heightened emotions and first time jitters on her side. Maybe that’s how it was when a superhero charged into battle, she told herself.

Steve had never really made any advances towards her, had never strayed beyond their friendship, had made it clear that he valued her as a friend and confidante, so he would have had no reason to kiss her at any point, not in the middle of the day and definitely not just before he left on an extended mission.

She was happy with what she had, she had told herself and everybody else. She didn’t want to risk it by overanalysing one interaction, where she couldn’t be sure if she’d understood all the signs anyway because she was barely awake for most of it. She would just wait and see if there was any change in his demeanour once Steve returned and adjust her own behaviour accordingly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to re-iterate: Because AoU never happened in my AU, Steve is still wearing the blue stealth uniform of sex from CATWS. You are welcome :D


	22. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today is Jane Austen's birthday! Happy 240th birthday, Jane!
> 
> Also, somebody posted [this](http://bookriot.com/2015/07/06/dreamcasting-the-avengers-with-jane-austen-characters/) on my Facebook timeline to mark the occasion. I laughed. A lot.
> 
> For added visuals for the scene at the beginning of this chapter, might I refer you to [this post](http://dopemixtape.tumblr.com/post/119670531657/ittybittymanatee-0-ves-0-i-guess-i) and [this post](http://0-ves-0.tumblr.com/post/123396746310/cap-with-beard). Otherwise this chapter is shameless fluff and banter with no real progress. I have no explanation for this, but I regret nothing ;o)
> 
> Also, this is the last chapter for a while. I'm flying out to attend family Christmas on Saturday and I will be busy. Happy Holidays! I'll post another chapter either after Christmas, when I'm back in the States, or early in the next year!

### Chapter 21

When Jarvis announced 12 days after Steve’s initial departure that everything had gone according to plan in Estonia and that the group was unharmed and on their way back already, Darcy breathed a sigh of relief. Not that she had been waiting impatiently for their return or anything. It was also a total coincidence that she was on the landing bay around the time Quinjet was scheduled to arrive.

She met both Sam and Clint on the way to the jet to find Steve, but she only greeted them in passing and then her eyes fixated on Steve, who was at that moment coming down the loading ramp of the jet. He was still in uniform but seemed to be good if a little exhausted. There was a tear in the fabric on his left side, but otherwise he seemed unharmed. He had once again started growing a beard while on mission, which was – in conjunction with the uniform – an unusual look for him.

She stopped right in front of him. “Hi,” Darcy said, immediately hating how breathless she sounded. Because she totally hadn’t hurried to the landing pad to see Steve as soon as Jarvis had announced the arrival of the Quinjet. Or maybe she had but only because she was glad that he was home because Jane and Tony had become even more insufferable the past days. And she hadn’t been overly worried, it was totally normal that she looked Steve up and down to check for visible injuries.

“Hi.” Steve smiled down at her.

Darcy bit her lip unsure what to say. She reached out her hand to touch him but then quickly stopped herself. He was standing before her, he was right there, he was smiling, there was no need to become touchy feely.

“It’s good to have you back,” she said brightly, cringing inwardly because now she sounded really artificial.

“It’s good to be home,” Steve said, nodding curtly.

“Are you guys going to kiss or not?” a female voice spoke up behind Steve.

Darcy looked around to see the devastatingly beautiful red-head that had come down the loading ramp behind Steve and was now standing right next to him, her arms crossed in front of her chest, surveying them with what was probably amusement.

Darcy willed herself (and failed) not to blush. “You are Natasha Romanoff,” she then stated in what hopefully came across as professional, “the Black Widow.”

“And you are Darcy Lewis, devastatingly beautiful brunette who captured Captain America’s heart,” Natasha grinned. “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard _a lot_ about you,” she added with a side glance at Steve, who glared at her.

Natasha looked at the two of them for a moment. “So,” she then said, “thanks for the warm welcome, Darcy, but we should probably get changed…”

“Oh, right, yes! Don’t let me keep you. And you probably want to debrief Maria and Tony and Bruce and… everybody else.”

“There isn’t much to debrief on,” Steve said with a shrug, “we caught the bad guys and you will be glad to know that there are no politically charged positions. We fully cooperated with the local law enforcement who got all the credit, too. They can now decide if they want to make things – our assistance – public or not.”

“Good,” Darcy said, “anyway, I’ll leave you guys to freshen up. See you around!”

~*~

As soon as Darcy had left Steve could practically feel Natasha’s eyes boring into his skull. He sighed inwardly but just started walking to make his way towards the residential area. Natasha fell into step next to him.

“So, what happened to ‘I hate her face and everything else’?” she finally said when they waited for the elevator. “I thought you two disliked each other immensely and were avoiding each other at all cost.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Don’t act as if you don't know already. All the guys have told you everything.”

“Of course they have, but it’s still nice to hear it from you, too.”

“Because you want to gloat.”

“Because I’m just invested in your happiness,” Nat grinned.

“Fine… We got over our differences, turns out we had some major misunderstandings between us and I actually like her.”

“Like her or like _like_ her?”

Steve glared at her. “As a friend,” he then added.

“That’s not what it looks like to me.”

Steve sighed but didn’t answer. As much as he liked that Natasha had finally decided to come back to New York with them, he hadn’t missed her meddling and her matchmaking at all. By now it seemed that every single resident at the tower – except maybe Thor – seemed to have their minds set on getting him and Darcy together. Steve had spent the last days assuring everybody who asked or pestered him – and himself – that he was happy with what he and Darcy had, which was friendship, nothing more.

“Also not what I’ve heard,” Natasha added. “And trust me, I’ve heard all about the romance of the century from the busybody boys here. We are all living vicariously through you, my young boy.”

“I’m older than you are,” Steve pointed out.

“That’s what you think and also a terrible diversion from my main point, Rogers.”

“Not a diversion. I know when disagreeing with you is a lost case. No matter how far-fetched your illusions actually are.”

Nat grinned entirely too widely. “Illusions? No, that’s not what it is. Like I said: I’m invested in your happiness.”

~*~

_hangoverlover submitted to capspotting:_

OMG PEOPLE, OMG, I’M STILL SHAKING

you know how when you work in services you sometimes dream about a celebrity coming into your store/shop/café/whatsoever but it never actually happens? guess what happened today???? Captain America, Star Spangled Sex on Legs, came into my coffee shop!!!! yeah, nbd, nbd *fans herself*

so, you know, i was minding my own business, my shop (in brooklyn in case you wanted to know) was not really busy that day so (read: it was basically empty) i was cleaning the displays and thinking of ways to make our homemade cookies even better, when the bell jingled and a couple entered, coming up to the counter.

so i looked up, professional barista that i am and at first i was like thinking to myself: he looks terribly familiar, but i really couldn’t put my finger on it, because you know, despite him being Captain America he obv doesn’t run around in his uniform (as much as i would’ve liked to see his star spangled behind in that tight spandex up close, but whatevs) or carries his shield on his back all the time. so yeah, he’s actually blending in well with the crowd. What betrayed him you might ask?

the one-in-a-billion shoulder to waist ratio (yes, it’s very real).

that and the fact that he gave his name as Steve, so there’s that. as soon as i realized who was standing in front of me my jaw literally hit the floor. but i kept it together, peeps, and didn’t embarrass myself in front of them spectacularly, i was a consummate professional, thank you very much.

so, i'm not trying to rub it in, but he’s even more handsome in real life. the beard he’s growing is _totally_ working for him, walking wet dream that he already is. and the low-hung jeans? those should be illegal. i’m pretty sure they are illegal in some states… he is panty dropping hot. holy cow. *fans self* his girlfriend (she is his girlfriend, right? not fiancée/wife, right?) is one lucky lady. and did i mention the motorcycle jacket? OMG, the motorcycle jacket. at this point i’m pretty much a lost case in the romance department bc fictional and other unattainable men have ruined me for normal guys, but yeah, Captain America’s visit just added “must own a motorcycle jacket” to my list of impossible standards in men.

but i’m digressing: he’s super polite, too (tips well, in case you wanted to know). i cannot for my life remember his coffee order, even though i fixed it for him, but he apparently has a sweet tooth bc he got a huge amount of our cookies for which he was teased mercilessly by his companion.

so, you might have guessed it already: yes, Darcy was with him and the two were _adorable_ together, i can’t even *squee*

they are obv keeping it on the DL, no touching, no handholding, but the flirty banter cannot be contained. and they are sooooooooooooooo cute, i thought i might die of the uncontainable cuteness that is the Captain and Darcy. dude, his smiles and her laughter, they are soooooooooo in love.

they sat down together at one of the window seats (the armchairs are super comfy in case you wanted to know) and you know, just hanging out, relaxing, comfortable in each others’ presence, smiling, flirting, legs tangled together. don’t worry, i didn’t stare at them the whole time, but i couldn’t help but notice when i looked at them. le sigh. such a cute couple, the media coverage doesn’t do them half the justice.

anyway, at some point they sadly had to leave. so yes, i gathered all my courage and asked for a picture and they were nice enough to take several. Darcy took them, with the Captain and me in it. the Captain is obv ridiculously photogenic, while I was happy that my eyes were at least open in half of the pictures, but yeah, so dreamy. i’m not building a Cap shrine in my shop, but i was tempted for a sec.

oh yeah, the punch line of this story? they left on his motorcycle. oh, sweet baby jesus, that bike? don’t get me started, don’t get me started. when you think Captain America cannot become any more devilishly handsome, life throws you that curveball with one hell of a Harley for him. sweet baby jesus, i think i need to sit down and breathe into a paper bag.

~*~

“Okay, I know how this sounds, but the Black Widow is kind of freaking me out,” Darcy said, passing Steve the tomatoes for him to cut. They were currently in the communal kitchen preparing the food for the weekly “family dinner”.

“What?” Steve looked at her in shock. “You can’t be serious. Natasha is the dorkiest person on earth. Except when she doesn’t like you. But she does, in fact, like you. So there shouldn’t be any reason for threatening behaviour.”

“Oh, no, she’s not threatening. She’s just… way too invested in my love life?”

Steve sighed and shook his head. “I should’ve known that this was coming.”

“What was coming?”

“She is trying to set us up,” Steve explained with an eye-roll.

“Natasha, too?” Darcy asked disbelievingly.

“Knowing Nat she’s probably the ring leader. She tried setting me up with every breathing, single SHIELD agent,” Steve pouted.

“Aw, poor baby, imagine the hardship,” Darcy teased, making Steve glare at her. “But that makes kind of sense, because she was really insistent about what I thought about Theresa from HR,” Darcy added thoughtfully.

“That sounds like Natasha,” Steve agreed.

“Uncommon strategy,” Darcy mused, “but then… maybe she was hoping that I would run up to you proclaiming ‘I don’t want you to date other people because I am seriously in love with you’. Not that that’s actually going to happen.”

Darcy knew that she was treading on thin ice, but by now she felt that she was left in some kind of limbo state. What Jane had told her was bugging her more than she was willing to admit. Not that anything had changed after Steve’s return. They would still attend official occasions together and do stuff together in their free time, most recently they had taken a day to look at houses in Brooklyn.

She didn’t really know what they were, they were so reluctant to put a label on it. Was she his friend? Best friend? Tabloid wife? She’d had the feeling that there could be more, but Steve had been a little more guarded with her after his return, a little colder for a while, so she figured that whatever she had felt the night he’d said goodbye must have been a figment of her sleep-deprived imagination.

The tabloids were writing their own stories of course, but at this point it didn’t matter anymore. Darcy had long since learned to ignore the gossip around her and only treat it in her professional function and not to let the paparazzi and the multimillion dollar tabloid industry ruin anything. It was poison anyway, especially for women, and it was something she willingly endured for her… friendship with Steve, to be with him. She would always be a target anyway.

“My offer still stands, you know,” Steve said quietly, pulling her out of her thoughts. “We can always break up if you want to date other people. If you don’t see this going anywhere, if you want to be normal…” He looked at her earnestly.

“And as I said if I wanted that, I’d let you know,” Darcy said with more force than intended. She hated that Steve now, more often than not, referred to their fall-back plan of “simply breaking up so that she could be free”.

Steve looked at her quizzically. “You good?” he then asked.

“The whole discussion about our relationship status is making me itchy,” Darcy simply said, taking the easy way out.

“You started it…” Steve trailed off.

“Just to keep you in the loop. I hate that we have to justify our thing in front of everybody. You and I, we are good, right?” She looked at Steve expectantly.

“Yeah, yeah, we are good,” Steve hastened to agree.

“And you would let me know if we weren’t, right?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Good,” Darcy nodded to herself, even though she was still dissatisfied with how the conversation had played out. They worked next to each other in silence for a few minutes. “Now that we got this figured out, let’s move to the really important questions that have been bugging me ever since you got home: What’s with the,” Darcy paused to gesture at this face, “scruff and all?”

“Would you believe me if I told you that I try to be more unobtrusive and hiding from the press?”

“No. Also I would tell you that it’s a lost cause because nothing can hide that unmistakeable jawline of justice.”

Steve laughed softly, scratching his beard absentmindedly. “The truth is I just don’t feel like shaving these days.”

“It’s okay. It actually suits you.”

“Thanks.”

“Though you might want to rethink those sunglasses you sometimes wear on our outings or you are well on your way to become an accidental hipster.”

“Accidental?” Steve teased.

“Oh right, I forgot those thick-rimmed glasses you wear while undercover and the flannel shirts and the leather jacket,” Darcy shot back. “I missed all the signs and now it’s too late.”

“Well, people have been writing that I’m dressing better ever since I started dating you and that it must be the female touch…” Steve shook his head slightly. “I’d like to point out that nothing in my wardrobe was purchased or approved by you and that I’m perfectly capable of dressing myself.”

Darcy laughed at that. “If I ever get asked about your clothing, I’ll make sure to mention it. But speaking of your questionable clothing choices: I have a question about the uniform.”

Steve looked at her unnerved, clearly expecting a pun on the spandex.

“What’s in the utility belt? Clearly you have all the weaponry you need in your shield and the physical prowess from the Barbie beefcake machine. What do you need the tactical belt for?”

“It’s from the war. I used to store ammunition and food.”

“And now?”

“Condoms, floss, muesli bars, my passport in case I cross international borders,” Steve recited earnestly.

“Seriously?” Darcy frowned at him, trying to decide if he was serious or not.

“No!” Steve laughed at her. “It’s tech for the coms. Best to store it in the belt because the uniform is very tight.”

“Boy, don’t I know it. I can tell you, certain parts of the female population definitely appreciate it.”

“Certain parts?” Steve raised an eyebrow in challenge.

“Well, many of the guys too, I’d say. In my professional opinion it’s good for the public image. You know, who cares what your opinion about foreign policy is when you are right there to be objectified,” she joked.

“Well, there is a Twitter account entirely dedicated to my butt,” Steve pointed out.

“Oh, you found it?” Darcy asked, amused.

“The owner tweeted at me,” Steve explained. “Which sounds really weird since I am the owner of my butt…”

Darcy laughed at that. “But think about it, those old pictures and news reels about you probably inspired an entire generation to earn history degrees.”

“Thanks,” Steve answered drily.

“Imagine how many young, innocent souls were ushered into sexual awakening by all the media available about Captain America aka the Brooklyn Adonis,” Darcy continued.

“Ew, mental image, Darcy.”

“Just think about it.”

“I really don’t.”

“I’m telling you, it happened.”

“You speak from experience?” Steve teased.

“Oh, yeah, totally,” Darcy shot back, “Jackson from my high school history class was convinced that you had done it with all of the USO girls. Meanwhile _I_ advocated the classical theory that Captain America had been pure and chaste his whole life, like the beacon of American values that he was portrayed to be.”

Steve snorted loudly. “Is that a low key attempt to find out about my sexual history?” he then asked.

“Oh, yes _please_ , tell me all about your sexual conquest or lack thereof,” Darcy said sarcastically.

“I totally would.”

“I am all ears,” Darcy shot back. “Might be a good preparation for all the people that are coming forward claiming to be Captain America’s offspring. I think the National Enquirer is preparing a special issue. Just in time for your birthday.”

“Oh, right,” Steve said unenthusiastically, “that’s coming up, too.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not turning your birthday into a publicity stunt.”

Steve just frowned at her.

“Trust me,” Darcy explained, “there’ve been lots of requests for you to appear on the 4th of July but I figured you just wanted to celebrate it quietly and not receive any undue attention, so I declined them all. Even though Captain America being born on Independence Day is like a PR manager’s dream come true. How did you manage in the past?”

“Not really much to celebrate during war on the European Theatre,” Steve said with a shrug. “And in the 21st century… Last year I was basically _the_ persona non grata and also out searching for Bucky and I guess the years before that SHIELD just weeded out all the invitations as soon as I made clear that I wasn’t really up to being paraded around for publicity once more. I just got forwarded a handful and declined them all… White House Correspondents’ Dinner, G20 summit-”

“Wait, you declined an invitation to the G20 summit?” Darcy interrupted him, flabbergasted. “That’s like my dream come true. You never see that much political influence in one room. Sure, it’s terrible representation-wise and it’s super elitist and closed-door and deserves some major criticism, but you rub noses with political leaders and decision makers.”

“Ok?” Steve just said.

“So the next time,” Darcy pointed her spoon at him accusingly, “you get an invitation you say: ‘Yes, thank you, Mr President, I am honoured’ and then you take me along. I don’t care if I have to marry you to count as your plus one, I need to go there!”

Steve stared at her for a moment. “If I’m ever invited again, I’ll get the engagement ring ready,” he then said, deadpan, for which Darcy punched him in the arm.

“You be all smug, Captain Sassy Pants, but then I’ll just not take you along the next time I’m invited to-” Darcy stopped because she couldn’t come up with an event Steve really wanted to go to.

“Yes?” Steve grinned entirely too widely, watching her struggle come up with a good example.

“New York’s ultimate Frisbee championship.”

Steve laughed out loudly at that. “Point taken, I would be _heartbroken_ if I missed that,” he said drily.

“Scenes of domestic bliss, I like it,” Natasha spoke up behind them, making them both jump and then wheel around to face her. “And something definitely smells delicious in here.”

“Whether you like it or not, family dinner is actually a thing,” Steve explained. “We do it regularly and most of the meals are homemade. Except when it’s Tony’s turn because we all value our life too much.”

“It’s your turn next week,” Darcy added. “You are now paired up with Clint so you are actually lucky that he stepped up his kitchen game ever since the SHIELDRA reveal made him basically jobless overnight.”

Natasha looked at the two of them for a few moments, making Darcy feel uneasy. The assassin seemed so knowing. Darcy idly wondered how long the spy had watched her and Steve unnoticed.

“You two are great at avoiding the actual point,” she then stated, much to Darcy’s surprise.

“Sorry, what?” Steve said, confused.

“Scenes of domestic bliss,” Natasha repeated.

“Just because we are cooking together?” Steve frowned at her. “That makes no sense.”

“No, because of the flirty banter and the bickering like an old married couple,” Natasha explained. “And the inside jokes. And the standing non-dates. And you two actually planning your life together.”

“We are not doing that,” Darcy protested.

“You guys went house hunting together. In Brooklyn,” Natasha pointed out. “Strangely enough the tabloids didn’t report on it too much, but the social networks – Tumblr especially – are full with accounts. It’s very adorable when random strangers on the internet have a better grasp on your relationship than you do.”

“We didn’t go together,” Darcy countered, ignoring Natasha’s last statement entirely. “Steve went because he wants to move out of the apartment of terrible blandness and I was just tagging along and offering unsolicited advice on like… the kitchen and the garden.”

“Sure you were, Darcy,” Natasha said knowingly. “Did you also offer advice on the master bedroom and the nursery that you plan to inhabit at some point?”

“Very funny, Nat,” Steve said drily. “Your matchmaking is even more overt than Tony’s these days. Not really your style.”

“Uh, I’m hurt, Steve, hurt. Especially since I’m not really matchmaking.”

“You are not?” Steve asked disbelievingly.

“No, that’s no longer necessary, because the term matchmaking suggests that I’ll find the right person for you. But you two have already found each other,” Natasha stated matter-of-factly, making Darcy gape. “At this point I’m just trying to get you two crazy kids to talk.”

“We talk all the time,” Darcy finally managed to say.

“Point taken.” Natasha grinned entirely too widely. “Let me put this way: Talk _with_ each other, not past each other, thinking what you’re saying is the thing the other person wants to hear.”

~*~

**Captain and Darcy besotted as ever – or probably even more**

We don’t know what happened with Darcy and the Captain over the last few days, but somebody must have seriously cranked up their daily dosage of Love Potion No. 8.

Or maybe it’s a case of “absence makes the heart grow fonder”, because reportedly the Captain spent the last few weeks on a top secret mission abroad and only returned a few days ago much to his lady love’s visible relief.

In any case: The two attended several official outings together and reportedly were also spotted house hunting in Brooklyn the other day, (even though photographic evidence for that is still missing).

On official occasions though you can see from the pictures posted that the two of them were all over each other on every available occasion, hardly left each other’s sight and left many events early to sneak off to enjoy some very deserved alone time.

So for us here at the _Daily Star_ it’s a safe bet that their love is not cooling down any time soon. As a matter of fact, we are throwing our hands up in jealousy. How do they manage to still behave like they are fresh in love with each other after months of dating?

You can see the whole coverage on the besotted lovebirds in the gallery below.


	23. Chapter 22

### Chapter 22

Katie G. @frolleinwunder

she’s beauty, she’s grace, she’s crying over Captain America’s gorgeous face

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@frolleinwunder He isn’t beauty nor grace, he gets punched in the face. By bad guys. And sometimes by his own shield.

Katie G. @frolleinwunder

@Rogers4Real Well, you have Darcy to kiss it better.

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@frolleinwunder Haha, no. Darcy would laugh at me and then ask if there’s footage available for her to see. On repeat.

Gobbel Gobbel @spacepirate

Captain America’s torso is only love triangle I’m interested in.

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@spacepirate And I was almost ready to tell you the story of how Darcy chose me over Clint in a dystopian YA novel Avengers AU kind of tale

Ursula, the evil witch @moonmoonmoon

Sexuality: bearded Captain America

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@moonmoonmoon With all the reactions to the beard I’m getting I have the feeling I’ll never shave again.

Ursula, the evil witch @moonmoonmoon

@Rogers4Real But doesn’t Darcy complain about the beard burn?

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@moonmoonmoon No she doesn’t ;-)

Tallah @domesticheroine

Captain America could be 150 years old and I’d still hit that

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@domesticheroine Ah, but I’ve all but planned to embrace my inner grumpy old man once I’ve hit 150, you might need to reconsider.

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@domesticheroine And now Darcy is standing behind me, yelling: “Get off my lawn!”

Leander @dontgiveashxt

Captain America’s smile is the oral equivalent of a hundred labradoodle puppies taking a bubble bath

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@dontgiveashxt Okay, thanks, but have you seen Thor smile? #afacethatlaunchedathousandships #DarcyAgrees

Well Behaved Women @SeldomMkHistory

Me, when someone is mean to me: Captain America wouldn’t treat me like this

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@SeldomMkHistory Natasha just offered free knife throwing lessons to scare away mean people. Darcy’s eyes lit up in delight.

Quentin @sinnamonroll

@Rogers4Real looks like a cinnamon roll but could actually kill you

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@sinnamonroll Okay, I didn’t get this one at all and had to ask Darcy and she laughed at me for a million years (and still hasn’t explained)

Precious @doublezeroagent

Natasha Romanoff when Captain America’s shield doesn’t bounce back to him: “Steve, stop trying to make fetch happen!”

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@doublezeroagent Tony Stark, whenever there’s a uniform upgrade: “And on Wednesdays we wear pink.”

Precious @doublezeroagent

@Rogers4Real Does Darcy get a design input, too? To, you know, make things more… accessible

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@doublezeroagent Let’s put it this way: I had to veto her “let’s make the star into a boob window” suggestion last week

Jasmine is @home_alone

Met Captain America and got a photo with him. He smells like freedom and sunshine and clean laundry.

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

@home_alone Eau de Cap, coming soon to a store near you. Darcy totally thinks it’s marketable #YourLumberjackBoyfriend (her idea)

~*~

**The Captain on Twitter charms us all!**

It’s our new favourite game: How many times do you have to say Captain America on Twitter for him to appear – and talk about Darcy. Ever since the Captain joined Twitter, his account has been a source of delight. Be it pop culture references or witty rejoinders or incredibly artsy pictures or heartfelt answers to the many questions thrown his way – the Captain is perfect on his official social media presence. So perfect, in fact, that some people have already doubted that it’s really him running it.

Anyway, our favourite are the little titbits we get about his private life, his relationship with Darcy to be precise. And one thing’s for certain: The Captain might be a surprisingly witty cupcake, but Darcy is too. From suggesting a boob window for the Captain’s uniform (um, yes please!) to laughing about his (training?) accidents to not complaining about beard burns (wherever those may be…), Darcy is apparently the ray of sunshine in the Captain’s life.

Now, if he would only post some photographic evidence of that. But so far we’ve only seen some snippets of his drawings of her.

~*~

A few days later Darcy was down in the vault with Tony, Pepper and Steve to get ready for the annual Battle of New York fundraiser. Tony and Pepper had decided that all the women needed some expensive jewellery from the Stark family collection for the event and then Tony had ganged up on Steve to come along to judge. Darcy and Steve had rolled their eyes at his antics, but had complied in the end.

Both Jane and Natasha had been outfitted already. Natasha especially, with the air of a spy preparing for a mission, had some diamond earrings and a bracelet chosen within minutes and then disappeared. Jane had taken a little longer, but eventually she had found a gold necklace with matching earrings and returned to the labs. Darcy had a harder time choosing what to wear, mostly because Pepper had vetoed the pieces that Darcy had liked because they were “adequate” but not good enough.

“Not that I want to be ungrateful or anything,” Darcy said, while Tony was scurrying around the vault and randomly opening the safety deposit boxes to find something for her, “but seriously, I’m fine with any of the pieces I’ve tried so far.”

“We just want you to look stellar for the night out,” Pepper explained patiently.

“It has never been an issue before,” Darcy pointed out. “Steve and I, we’ve been on a lot of official occasions without me sporting any jewellery. And really, it’s not like it’s the Oscars or anything.”

“There’s going to be a lot of attention on you and you are going to get photographed and everything.”

“As was at the Governor’s ball a few months back and basically every black tie event in between and there never was such a ruckus.”

“That was different then.”

Darcy frowned at Pepper. “How so?”

“Because you are going with one of the Avengers hosting the event.”

Darcy sighed. “So being Steve’s plus one justifies diamonds and everything?”

“Yup,” Pepper nodded. “Better accept it now.”

Darcy looked towards Steve, who was casually leaning against one of the walls, taking in the scene before him, for help. But he just shrugged, basically telling her that he would not interfere.

“Pepper,” Tony said, “what about that amazing blue diamond that would make Harry Winston cry – if he were still with us?”

“That might just be the one,” Pepper said. “It would work perfectly with Darcy’s dress.”

Tony opened one of the safety boxes and handed Darcy a beautiful necklace with a blue diamond pendant on a delicate platinum chain. Darcy stared at it wide-eyed for a moment. “Wow, that is amazing,” she breathed.

“Put it on,” Tony urged, which Darcy did immediately. And then looked into the mirror. It was one of the most beautiful pieces of jewellery she had ever seen in her life. And it fitted her perfectly. It had the perfect length and would look great with her dress. The effect was unmistakable. Both Pepper and Tony nodded approvingly and even Steve straightened up and stared at her for a second.

“I think we are all in agreement.” Pepper looked around. “Decision made.”

“Okay,” Darcy touched the necklace gingerly, “but how much is this thing actually worth?”

“Um…” Tony started, but was pre-empted by the ever so efficient Jarvis, who announced: “It is currently insured for 5.8 million dollars, Miss Lewis.”

“Holy shit!” she exclaimed. “I cannot wear that! What if I’m attacked on the red carpet by unscrupulous diamond thieves?”

“Please,” Tony rolled his eyes, “you have the First Avenger by your side. Nothing is going to happen.”

“Still, I’d rather not be responsible for robbing the Stark family jewels of some of its brightest gems. No pun intended, Tony!” she added when she saw his smirk.

“You’ll be fine. Really, it looks beautiful on you,” Pepper tried to calm her.

“But I’ll not be comfortable wearing it.”

“Steve,” Tony ordered, “tell her that it looks amazing and that she simply has to wear it to the gala.”

“It is really great,” Steve said solemnly. “And it compliments you very well.”

Darcy squinted at all of them. “You are all conspiring against me!”

“Well, you can reconsider,” Tony offered cheekily. “We also have some beautiful diamond rings available in case you want to heat up those engagement rumours…”

Darcy just glared at him. “Fine. But only because Jarvis said that it’s _insured_ for 5.8 million dollars. So if I lose it, there will be no monetary consequences. Steve, you do not leave my side-”

“Please, do I ever?” he shot back. “You are my social bodyguard.”

“And I don’t care,” she continued, “if the press only has pictures of you staring at my boobs the whole evening as long as we get this puppy safely home.”

“Then you should probably stop fidgeting with the clasp before you break it,” he pointed out.

Darcy glared at him. “You are doing that on purpose.”

“Relax, you’ll be fine.”

“You are not wearing a necklace whose value could probably buy half her childhood neighbourhood around your neck.”

“No, but you could’ve probably bought half of Brooklyn with 5.8 million dollars when I grew up,” he shot back.

“You know what,” Darcy retorted, “I’ve reconsidered, you and I can totally become the unscrupulous diamond thieves and take this thing tomorrow and run into the night.”

“We could totally fence it and live off the money for years,” Steve agreed, grinning.

“Or just, you know, buy one of those fancy Brooklyn houses we looked at.”

“Too close to the scene of the crime,” Steve pointed out. “We’d get caught within a week.”

“Well then, running off into the sunset it is. Preferably with that sweet bike you have.”

“That can be arranged.”

“Do you want us to leave you alone while you two plan your life of crime together?” Pepper interrupted, clearly amused.

“No, it’s just harmless fun,” Darcy replied, “and Steve is putting me at ease.”

“From what I’m seeing you _are_ planning the rest of your life together,” Tony said.

“It is kind of cute,” Pepper agreed.

“I’d totally sacrifice the diamond necklace, too, for you two to run away into the sunset together,” Tony grinned.

“Thanks, Tony,” Darcy said drily.

“But if you guys need money to buy your dream house, I can totally help you out, too,” he added. “Even though I’d be very resentful for a while were you two to move out of the tower. I’ve kind of grown used to the unresolved sexual tension simmering.”

“You done?” Steve asked, arms crossed in front of his chest.

“Not even half of it!”

“Anyway,” Darcy declared loudly, taking off the necklace and placing it in the velvet box Pepper handed her. “I think we are all okay, right? All prepared for tomorrow night.”

~*~

By now Steve and Darcy were red carpet pros. Even though they never enjoyed it, it was now a necessary evil to be endured. But being in it together was easier than facing the cameras alone. The posed together for a few minutes, casually, Steve’s hand resting on Darcy’s hip and her hand on his back leaning into him, and ignored the yelled questions and flashes as best as they could and mostly just continued their normal conversation.

“What are you so happy about tonight?” Steve asked. Darcy had been surprisingly chipper, especially after her reaction to the jewellery yesterday. “I thought you were super anxious about that small fortune hanging around your neck.”

“Thanks for reminding me,” Darcy grinned, “and for telling me that it’s still there, but I just realised: this dress has pockets.”

“And?”

“It has pockets, Steve, don’t you realise how awesome that is?”

He frowned at her for a moment. “No?”

She shook her head almost imperceptibly. “Men,” she then just teased. “You don’t know the struggle. You especially basically just take a shower and jump into the tux and look like God’s gift to mankind. Us girls, we have to prepare for hours and even then the tabloids will still find something to scrutinise. Remind me to educate you on this later.”

“Looking forward to this,” Steve commented wryly. “But I can tell you that your effort is well appreciated and that you look stunning. Especially in that dress. With pockets.”

“Thanks,” Darcy smiled up at him. “I’ll probably regret choosing this delicate dress later when I’ll freeze my ass off because for June it’s currently too fricking cold.”

“Then let’s get you inside, shall we?”

“Smooth, Rogers, very smooth.”

“I prefer the term ‘master tactician’,” he shot back, taking her hand and the two made their way inside.

Steve and Darcy tried to remain at each other’s side throughout the evening, but at some point they ended up separated and at different sides of the room. Steve nevertheless kept an eye on Darcy to make sure that she wasn’t being accosted or made uncomfortable in any way. Sometimes Darcy would catch his gaze in the crowd and she would smile or wink and motion him to pay attention to his own conversation.

He managed fairly well, too, until he was caught in a group with Tony, Jane and some other science people whose topic of conversation quickly went over his head, so his attention naturally waned. He started looking around in the room until his eyes found Darcy again, who was walking the room with ease and poise and laughter. He followed her around with his gaze for a bit, watching how she drew people in, until Tony started snapping his fingers right in front of Steve’s eyes.

“Attention, Cap,” Tony said, drawing Steve’s gaze back to their group, “we know we are not as entertaining as your girlfriend but that is some really impolite move to not pay attention to us.”

“Sorry,” Steve managed to look sheepish, “I was distracted there for a second.”

“Not just a second,” Jane commented drily, “we were trying to get your attention for a minute at least.”

“You are excused, Captain,” one of the other scientists added good-naturedly. “I had the opportunity to meet Miss Lewis while she was still working for Dr Foster and she is delightful. Naturally even from afar she is far more interesting than the little experts’ discussion we just had.”

“Yeah, sorry, that discussion quickly went above all my science knowledge. If you’ll excuse me, gentlemen, Jane, I’ll go find somebody to talk battle strategies with. I think I spotted Clint and Sam by the bar.”

He had made his way halfway through the crowd when Natasha appeared next to him seemingly out of nowhere.

“I think you should ask Darcy for a dance.”

“Why, does she need rescue?” Steve looked around to the spot where he’d seen Darcy conversing animatedly with an older African gentleman just a few moments ago. They were still in a very amiable discussion by the looks of it. “She’s looking okay,” Steve then said.

Nat rolled her eyes almost imperceptibly. “The fact that you know her position in the room at all times is not telling. At all,” she said. “But that’s not what I meant, it’s just: dancing is a something you do with your partner at these things.”

“I don’t see any of the other Avengers dancing,” Steve pointed out.

“Well, somebody has to make the first step.”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “Is this really about dancing or about something else?”

“I was talking about dancing, but if you want it to be about something else, I’m very willing to lend my expertise.”

“Duly noted, I’ll give it a pass.”

“For now,” Nat said mysteriously before she disappeared into the crowd again.

He stood with Clint and Sam for only a few minutes until Darcy tried to grab his attention from the crowd.

“I think Darcy is looking for me,” he told Clint.

“No surprise there,” Clint commented drily.

“I’ll go see what she wants.”

“Of course you will,” Sam muttered.

He met Darcy halfway through the crowd. “Hey Darcy, what’s-” he began, but she just grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the nearest exit.

“Come with me,” she just said.

“If I want to live?” Steve joked, which earned him a wide grin from Darcy.

They made it towards the one of the side exits, which led them to a small hallway and then outside of the venue into a little garden area.

“Okay, fresh air, good, breathe.” Darcy stopped and fanned herself for a moment.

“Are you okay?” Steve asked, concerned.

“Just a little bit freaked out,” Darcy said faintly.

“Why?” Steve asked, suddenly alert. “Something happened to you?”

Darcy patted his arm reassuringly. “Yeah, I met the Queen.”

“The Queen?” Steve repeated uncomprehendingly. “I didn’t know she was invited… or attending... flying in all the way from the UK.”

Darcy laughed at him for a moment. “Not _that_ Queen, I met Beyoncé, Steve, Beyoncé!”

Steve frowned at her. “And she’s the Queen how?”

“She just is, okay?”

“Okay?” Steve’s frown deepened. “That’s great, I guess?”

“Man, you were doing so well on the pop culture with the Terminator quote just now.” Darcy poked him playfully in the stomach with her finger. “Anyway, to add something you will understand: before that I had a conversation with the ambassador of Wakanda about the geopolitical challenges in Central Africa and the role of so-called Hollywood foreign aid in the region. And it was awesome.”

“That I do understand. Especially considering that the G20 summit is basically your version of nerd prom or something.”

“Ah, you remembered,” Darcy teased.

“Sure I do,” Steve shot back. “It’s not all the time that a woman is willing to marry me to get an invitation to something.”

“Yeah, mostly they get an invitation to something to meet you and get you to marry them,” Darcy shot back.

“Until you come and rescue me,” Steve teased.

“Yeah, that’s what I do, don’t I?” Darcy said wistfully. “Social bodyguard.”

Steve regarded her curiously for a moment because he couldn’t quite decipher what she meant by that. By now their relationship was far more than that. Or rather it had never been about this to begin with. Their relationship after their initial misunderstanding had started very tentative but by now Darcy had become one of the closest people to him. She was extremely important to him and he didn’t want to lose her. But still, they never really talked about what they both wanted out of it, too. They refused to define anything and at this point it was difficult for him to decipher what was friendship and what was Darcy, who loved to play pretend with the press.

“Hey, let’s go exploring the garden area for a bit,” Darcy suggested, interrupting Steve’s train of thought.

“Don’t you want to head back inside and meet more important people?” Steve asked, only half joking.

“I’m good for the moment, actually. You?”

“Same for me, the crowds can get overwhelming. I’m okay with getting some reprieve.”

“And thanks to the crowd our absence will hopefully not be noted that much.”

“But if it is, people will probably understand.”

“And all our friends will tease us about it in the morning,” Darcy added.

Steve shrugged. “Like they always do.”

“Yeah.”

They walked in silence for a moment. Steve wasn’t sure what to do with his hands so he tucked them into his pockets.

“Out of curiosity,” Darcy then asked. “How many questions about the wedding rumours did you actually get?”

“Not that many, one or two, maybe three. Why?”

“I still got a lot of questions. A lot,” she emphasized. “At this point I’m almost tempted to just get a ring from the vault and run with it.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, imagine all the stories we could make up again about wedding preparations,” Darcy said enthusiastically. “Imagine the outcry if I were to let it slip that we are planning on getting married in Europe.”

“Yeah,” Steve said, not quite sharing her enthusiasm, for which Darcy squinted at him.

“Or maybe not,” she then just said more to herself.

They reached the end of the garden area, stopped and turned around. They stood next to each other in silence for a moment, staring at the brightly lit windows of the ballroom in the distance. They could still hear the faint music and the buzz of people talking. At some point Darcy started leaning into Steve’s side and put her head on his shoulder. It was quiet, peaceful, companionable – until Darcy started shivering.

Steve grabbed her hand. “You’re really cold!” he then said accusatory. “Geez, you should have said something! Let’s get you back inside!”

“No, let’s not,” Darcy protested. “It’s… peaceful out here.”

“I’m not letting you freeze to death!”

“That’s way too dramatic coming from the man who almost did. This is a cold June evening in New York, Steve, not the Arctic circle.”

Steve glared at her in response but Darcy just grinned up at him challengingly. Steve took a deep breath knowing that he would not win this fight. So he shrugged out of his jacket and put it over her shoulders.

Darcy shook her head for a moment and then her grin became even wider. “You are adorable,” she patted his cheek affectionately. “And this is so clichéd,” she announced but didn’t protest against any of it, “so clichéd. Also: Won’t you be cold now?”

“I tend to run hot,” Steve began to explain.

“Don’t we all know it,” Darcy muttered.

“It’s the serum, the metabolism,” Steve finished, frowning at her, but Darcy smiled up at him, trying – and entirely failing – to look innocent.

“But just to be on the safe side, I’m going to hug you so we can share the body heat,” Darcy declared.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, wouldn’t want to risk _you_ freezing once again,” Darcy said and then stepped close and hugged him, putting her hands on his back and letting her head rest on his chest. Steve’s arms involuntarily wrapped around her, holding her even closer.

They stood in companionable silence and Steve was enjoying the moment. The two of them had already been very comfortable in each other’s presence but apart from occasionally falling asleep on each other they never really went for full body contact. But now he could feel her heartbeat and hear her breathing. Her hair smelled of something fruity and sweet and the fabric of her dress was soft under his fingers. He could stand here with Darcy forever, he realised. That was when Darcy started to yawn and drew Steve out of his reverie.

“Sorry, I think the champagne is getting to me,” Darcy explained sheepishly.

“What happened to the water you always drink on these occasions?”

“It kept fuelling the pregnancy rumour questions so I had a flute of champagne. Or two. Sorry, I’m a lightweight.”

“You want to go home?” Steve suggested.

“What time is it?”

“After midnight.”

“And I haven’t transformed back into a pumpkin yet,” Darcy joked and straightened up, ending their hug. “Yeah, I guess we should leave before I fall asleep on the spot. I’ll text our driver and you figure out how we get out of here without having to return to the masses in the ballroom.”

“We’ll just take the hallway we snuck out through,” Steve said, “that should lead us right to the entrance where we can be picked up.”

“That’s so boring,” Darcy sounded disappointed.

“What were you expecting?” Steve shot back, taking her hand and making their way back to the venue. “Some sort of mini secret mission where we sneak through the adjourning rooms, are followed by sinister figures and I have to pick some locks?”

“That would make a better story,” Darcy said good-naturedly. “Also, tell me more about your lock picking skills. You sound so confident. Are you a cat burglar, too, or what?”

“Um, I plead the fifth,” Steve teased. “Maybe later.”

“Uh, all Captain Cryptical, are we? Oh wait, I just realised, you did steal your uniform from the Smithsonian. And Sam mentioned something that the acquisition of his wingpack wasn’t entirely… legal.”

“I’ll tell you later, when you are done educating me about sexism in the tabloid industry.”

True to his word they made it towards the entrance swiftly and without much fuss. So swiftly in fact that their car hadn’t appeared yet.

They stood alone at the door for a moment, they were apparently some of the first guests to leave. Nobody else was around and judging from the sounds the party was still in full swing inside.

“We can wait inside for a little,” Steve offered.

“Nah, I’m good with waiting here for a bit. That way nobody will delay us and anything. Or ask stupid questions. Or try to steal away my boyfriend so he can take them to the G20 summit.”

“You still warm enough with my jacket?” Steve asked.

“Yup, but if you like, you can give me another hug, you are like a very soft, pleasantly smelling space heater,” Darcy said with a cheeky grin.

“Feeling the love, Darcy, feeling the love,” Steve complained good-naturedly, but pulled her closer anyway, into a one-armed hug with Darcy leaning into his right side. “You do realise that we are giving the paparazzi quite the show,” he whispered a few minutes later. While most of them had absconded to other places once the show on the red carpet had been over and left the field to the society photographers that were allowed inside, some of them had been lingering around, in hopes of catching an incriminating photo of guests leaving the event. By now they were taking a lot of pictures of Darcy and himself.

“I don’t care about them any longer,” Darcy mumbled sleepily.

“You don’t?”

“No, because all of our pictures get misinterpreted for the sake of selling the love story we are not having anyway.”

“Yeah,” Steve swallowed hard, “totally.”

Darcy yawned again and started dozing against his shoulder. Steve looked down at her and tucked an errant lock of her hair back behind her ear, which made her open her eyes again and stare directly into his. Steve’s breath caught in his throat and couldn’t help but stare back. Darcy tilted her head slightly and licked her lips.

At that moment their car appeared and the moment was broken, Darcy blinked confusedly at the attendant for a moment, who appeared to open the door for them.

“Come on, sleepyhead,” Steve said, wrapping one arm around her waist and softly kissing her hair, “let’s get you home.”

Once they were in the car Darcy fell asleep on his shoulder almost immediately and started snoring lightly. Steve looked down at her face until he felt it was creepy that he was staring at her sleeping form and tore away his gaze to look out of the window.

This was a mess, he realised. Their whole relationship was a mess of tangled-up, never-defined feelings, at least from his side. He almost compulsively brought up the fact that they could always end their little “fake” love affair if they wanted to but at this point Steve wasn’t sure anymore if he really could if Darcy asked him to let her go. She had become such a huge part of his life, at this point it was difficult to imagine it without her.

The thing was, Steve wasn’t so sure what Darcy thought about all of this. She had never made any indication that she wanted more out of this arrangement than friendship. She seemed to have a lot of fun with playing pretend. She kept teasing him about the fact she was essentially doing him a favour with being his “social bodyguard” as she called it.

And exactly that playing pretend made it difficult to figure out what they both wanted out of this. No matter how much their friends teased them how they’d make the perfect couple for real, it was difficult to open a new chapter in their relationship if only one of them wanted it. If he wanted more than Darcy was willing to give, then he’d lose a friendship that had become too important for him to lose. Maybe he should try to keep his developing feelings down, try to keep them in check before driving himself crazy asking himself over and over again if they could be more than just friends.

Darcy was sound asleep by the time their driver pulled into the underground parking lot at the tower. The driver asked if Steve needed any help but Steve explained that he was okay and gently carried Darcy out of the car and towards the elevator.

Or maybe, Steve thought as the carriage slowly made its way up to their floor, he should take Natasha’s advice. Maybe he should be the one to make the first step. Maybe Darcy was waiting for a sign from him that this relationship between them could be more, more than friendship and play pretend for the press.

Steve looked down at the beautiful, sleeping woman in his arms and knew one thing for certain: He was in so much trouble.

~*~

Shot of the night as voted by our readers: Darcy Lewis being bundled up against her boyfriend Steve Rogers, wearing his jacket and looking up at him adoringly. Look at the two of them cuddling in public like they have no worries in the world.

~*~

All eyes were on Captain America and his girlfriend, Darcy Lewis, at the 5th annual gala benefitting the relief efforts after the Battle of New York. The twosome looked completely in love on the red carpet, flashing cheeky smiles and gazing at each other sweetly. The Captain kept his arm around Darcy as they posed for photos and made their way down the carpet. Their picture-perfect outing comes less than a month after the couple, who has been together since March last year, was spotted house hunting for a family home in Brooklyn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole "They are planning to get married in Europe" that Darcy is referencing never made it into the story, but I posted an outtake [here](http://amerna.tumblr.com/post/126053825176/anniversary-post).
> 
> The tweets at the beginning were very obviously inspired by Tumblr's gushing about Chris Evans and/or Steve Rogers, which you can see [here](http://beardedchrisevans.tumblr.com/post/126400676879/dafthappiness-shes-beauty-shes-grace-shes), [here](http://beardedchrisevans.tumblr.com/post/125575582644/greenarrovv-chris-evans-w-text-posts-about-him) and [here](http://chrisevanas.tumblr.com/post/122902407166/chris-evans-according-to-tumblr-insp).


	24. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me 100,000 words to come to the point where the long, unwieldy title for this fanfiction is explained. It’s Mark Twain, though misquoted: His original statement read: “The report of my illness grew out of his illness; the report of my death was an exaggeration.” but somehow the paraphrase/misquote “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” is more popular than the original. And from there on to “The reports about my love life have been greatly exaggerated”.
> 
> Also, in the meantime the wonderful aoisakai (here [on tumblr](http://aoisakai.tumblr.com/) and [on ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/aoisakai/pseuds/aoisakai)) has made [another manip](http://aoisakai.tumblr.com/post/137008110510/darcy-wait-you-declined-an-invitation-to-the) and has started [a podfic](http://aoisakai.tumblr.com/post/136880122750/hi-this-is-the-audiofic-of-the-first-chapter). Go ahead and give her some love, will you.

### Chapter 23

Milly @MilNenYa

#CaptainAmerica and his gf are in front of me in the line to get ice cream #unreal

Milly @MilNenYa

Totally cute #CaptainAdorable #ImNotStaring #FamousPeople #CantTakeaPicture

Milly @MilNenYa

Darcy is looking super hot btw

Milly @MilNenYa

#CaptainAmerica too, obviously. Bearded!Captain America should be a thing.

Milly @MilNenYa

My gosh, they are all over each other #CaptainAdorable

Milly @MilNenYa

They don’t notice me live tweeting, they only have eyes for each other #CaptainAdorable

Milly @MilNenYa

Heard Darcy all her bf “Captain Disney Prince” *swoon* #CaptainAdorable

Milly @MilNenYa

His low chuckle to her snarky comments is everything #CaptainAdorable

Milly @MilNenYa

She just playfully punched his arm and he pretended to be hurt #CaptainAdorable

Milly @MilNenYa

Hold on, is she wearing a ring on *that* important left finger? #CaptainAdorable

~*~

**#Tears – Female fans distraught over news of Captain America’s engagement**

The internet is mourning the loss of Captain America. When this morning _US weekly_ broke the news that the star spangled superhero had gotten engaged to long-time girlfriend Darcy Lewis over the weekend, the Twitter sphere practically lit up over the news of this announcement.

While a few were congratulatory over the announcement, his female fanbase didn’t take the news well.

Cap4Eva @ChitauriSlayer

Captain America engaged! My life is over! #crying #uglycrying #sobs

Jayne @CapTheBest994

Woke up to news of @Rogers4Real’s engagement. Worst awakening ever

Future Mrs. Rogers @ilovetheshield

Cap engaged? Honestly dont know what i’m doing w myself anymore #heartbroken

Collin Peters @drmadley881

devastated, just ugh! Captain America engaged, saddest day of my life

Cheryl Rogers @HeadCaptainette

Happy for @Rogers4Real and Darcy Lewis! #CapEngagement Bit sad too. But such a perfect specimen would be snagged up for good eventually

The beloved superhero was first rumoured to be in a committed relationship last March. In September he and girlfriend Darcy Lewis were first photographed together while out on a shopping trip. Both parties have been tight lipped about the relationship, wanting to keep things quiet and under wraps. The news now finally broke after weeks of speculation when a friend of the couple dished about their wedding plans after Darcy was reportedly seen with a ring on that important left finger over the weekend.

~*~

It was Tony who alerted him first via text. “Your engagement is trending on Twitter.”

“Huh?” Steve texted back.

“Jarvis just found it. Check out #CapEngagement.”

Steve had been very aware of the rumours about his and Darcy’s engagement or maybe even marriage. They had had been simmering for some time now, mostly ever since his declaration that Darcy was not his girlfriend during the SHIELD hearing a few weeks back. But so far it had only been idle speculation and had not been taken on by the major tabloid outlets – until now it seemed. Maybe it also had to do with the reporting after the gala that had featured him and Darcy heavily. They were so in love, people had written, so adorable together, couldn’t keep their eyes and hands off each other. Naturally that kind of reporting would lead to an onslaught of rumours, to wedding buzz even.

And it probably was the early beginnings of the dog days of summer phase, Steve mused, with people reporting really everything because there was hardly any real news worth reporting.

He went on Twitter and it wasn’t difficult to trace the rumour back to its source, the original tweets by a fan, which had then led to articles where some of their “friends” confirmed their engagement. Sometimes it was still unbelievable how news travelled. He hadn’t seen said person live tweeting their interaction, but even then that shouldn’t make a difference. Darcy had definitely not worn a ring – or any other spectacular jewellery – that day.

They had gone out to get the first ice cream of the summer. They still treated this as not dates. Their friends teased them mercilessly. Steve still had to do something about his and Darcy’s relationship. He hadn’t dared to approach her so far. He wasn’t really sure how. Maybe he should just talk to her spontaneously, it practically couldn’t get any worse. He just needed an opening.

Steve stared at the screen for a moment, thinking. He and Darcy could obviously ignore it like they had done in the past, but then Steve didn’t really feel like enduring increased media attention and speculation in the following weeks. He didn’t really need the tabloid speculation when he wasn’t sure what their relationship was exactly.

But officially commenting on it went against every PR strategy they’d established so far. But then Steve now had an additional medium at his disposal and the rumour had started via Twitter, maybe it was appropriate that he put an end to it via Twitter as well. He had the perfect wording for it, too.

~*~

**Cheeky Cap dispels rumours in 10 little words**

Rest assured, Captainettes, your lord and saviour isn’t entirely off the market. When news hit that the Captain had asked girlfriend Darcy Lewis to marry him with a fall wedding in the works hearts all over the globe (and probably a few other realms) were breaking. Only to find out that the mourning was entirely unneeded.

Within hours the star spangled man with a plan took to the internet himself to squelch the rumours with a cheeky entry on his newly minted official twitter page.

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

The reports about my love life have been greatly exaggerated

The cheeky allusion to Mark Twain sounds like denial from Captain America himself and a confirmation that he isn’t on the brink of matrimony. So, rest assured. While it still seems like he’s going ‘steady’ with girlfriend Darcy Lewis, they have not put a ring on it – yet!

~*~

Steve was waiting for Darcy when she came out of her meeting, that had felt like it lasted for eternity. But they’d made some headway, finally, and they were one step further in establishing the Avengers as a global emergency rapid response team.

“You and I were briefly engaged,” Steve announced falling into step next to her.

“In combat?” Darcy shot back, grinning.

“To be married. At least that’s what the media world had decided on.”

“Haven’t they reported that for weeks now?” Darcy said absent-mindedly, checking her phone.

“They’ve speculated a lot, but it exploded over night after somebody on Twitter claimed that you’ve definitely been seen with a sparkly thing on that one very important left finger and then some of our supposed friends confirmed it.”

Darcy looked up at him, amused. “Where do we find these friends, Steve? They are way too chatty about our love life. And they know more about it than you and I.”

“Maybe we should start hiring them because spreading misinformation can be an important part of covert operations.” Steve grinned.

“Great idea! I knew they were calling you star spangled man with a plan for a reason. Anyway,” she then added, “you said _were_ engaged, what made the media change their mind that I’m not about to become Mrs. Rogers?”

“I tweeted about it,” Steve announced.

“You did not!” Darcy stopped dead in her tracks, staring at him.

“Yes, I did.”

“What did you write?” Darcy demanded and motioned him to hand over his phone.

“Geez, you trust me so little,” Steve said, handing it over to her.

Darcy frowned at the screen for a few moments, reading his tweet. “That’s actually… good,” she then said surprised. “I like it. Mark Twain.”

“Yup,” Steve nodded. “And just to re-iterate: I’m actually hurt, I’m telling you, wounded by your lack of trust.”

“Don’t be such a drama queen, Steve,” Darcy grinned, swatting his arm playfully, continuing her way back to her office.

“You can apologise and call me Captain Adorable for a few days,” Steve said, falling down into her visitor’s chair at her desk. “That was the hashtag, by the way, for the original tweets that started it all. Another nickname for your collection.”

“Ah, but the ‘adorable’ you’ll have to earn.”

“I haven’t yet?” Steve sighed dramatically. “Again, I’m wounded, my heart may never recover. I have been the most attentive tabloid boyfriend you can imagine? Taking you to highly publicised events all over town, forcing you to wear expensive jewellery from the Stark vault on said events, scaring away real suitors with my trademarked Captain America face of disapproval. I think I’m doing really well.”

Darcy smiled and shook her head. “You are being cheeky today. And I think I’m the one who should get the thanks because I’m your social bodyguard and I’m taking you out to those events thus making sure that everybody can appreciate the high definition pictures of you in a tux.”

“We are both too selfless for our own good,” Steve joked.

“If we don’t win the Nobel peace prize in the next few years, I’m officially complaining about the selection being rigged.”

At that moment Maria appeared in the door and looked at the two of them for a moment. “I was about to ask if you wanted me to update Steve after the meeting, but I guess you’ve told him already?”

“No, not yet,” Darcy answered with a side-glance at Steve. “Steve here was too busy updating me on our changed relationship status.”

“There’s been a change?” Maria asked excitedly. “You never said-”

“In the tabloids,” Darcy clarified quickly. “Steve and I are still only friends.”

“Shame,” Maria said. “Because I loved that piece in the New York Ledger last week. Their society correspondent basically had a fangirl heart attack at your PDA at the gala.”

“Impressive use of lingo there, Maria.”

“Unsuccessful attempt at diversion, Darcy,” Maria countered drily. “But anyway, tone down the flirting and tell your _friend_ here what the stuff in Estonia did for his reputation,” she said before walking out of the room.

They had never talked about the night of the gala and ignored the intense press coverage the next few days. In a way it made sense, that the engagement rumours that had been simmering for a while had now boiled over. Pictures didn’t lie and in this case they portrayed feelings Darcy had been trying very hard to squash. The adoration displayed in her face when she looked at Steve was unmistakeable in all of them.

And she knew that she had really wanted to kiss Steve that night. And it didn’t have to do with the champagne, that she was emboldened by alcohol. With or without champagne: She really wanted to kiss Steve.

She’d woken up the next morning, still in her dress, her makeup making her look like a racoon, her hair a tangled mess and had been confused for a moment how she had ended up that way until she’d asked Jarvis how she’d gotten to her apartment and figured out the rest from her surroundings and by finally asking Steve. Steve had, as always, been the perfect gentleman.

They teased each other that she was his social bodyguard, but at this point she didn’t have to pretend any more. She didn’t want anybody else but her with Steve, it was as easy as that.

“So?” Steve prompted and pulled her out of her thoughts when she had probably been silently thinking for too long.

Darcy cleared her throat awkwardly. “Your work in Estonia was good,” she then explained. “It trickled down to the intelligence community slowly, but positively. I’d suggest get ready to suit up soon, but then you are always prepared, right?”

“How soon are we talking?”

“Well, an actual emergency notwithstanding, we’ll probably have something feasible, like an official cooperation, in a couple of weeks, by the end of the year at the latest.”

“Good,” Steve nodded thoughtfully, “good.”

“And then you can once again jump out of airplanes without a parachute in service to your country,” Darcy grinned.

“And this is just because of Estonia? And the stuff from the hearing?”

“Well,” Darcy shrugged, “the current political climate has certainly helped things along. Like relationships in the former… soviet bloc are kind of tense these days because of the geopolitical situation with Russia.”

Steve squinted at her. “Do they want us on their side because of a potential second Cold War with Russia?” he then asked suspiciously.

“No, it’s not that. It’s more… Despite everything: Hydra is still active, alive and kicking and they are taking advantage of unstable countries. The Eastern European countries are stable, but you never know… Tensions are on the rise, we don’t really want to give an opening to… sinister interested parties.”

“And NATO is refusing to establish permanent military bases in Poland or permanently deploy soldiers to the territory,” Steve added.

“Yup, but it’s not only that, it’s not only Eastern Europe, tensions are on the rise all over the world. There are a lot of places where Hydra can cause trouble. And those are the only places where we will let them deploy you. It’s not like the US military or intelligence community will suddenly want you to help in an active war zone or such. We are firm that Hydra is the primary target for the Avengers and the political bigwigs are certainly inclined to agree that having Captain America, Hydra hunter no. 1, on hand isn’t that bad after all.”

“Hmm,” Steve hummed, “well, I’m ready. I’m really not hoping for any increase in Hydra activity, but I’m glad to help out.”

“Good,” Darcy nodded. “We shall see how things develop then.”

They were silent for a moment.

“Also,” Darcy then added, “it only came up in a half-sentence, but the Belgian police was apparently really thankful about you solving a Hydra-related murder for them.”

“Really?” Steve sounded surprised. “Because like you said it was kind of a dick move.”

Darcy shrugged. “Maybe they didn’t mind. Like Liechtenstein whenever the Swiss accidentally invade them.”

“What?”

“I said maybe the Belgian police didn’t mind,” Darcy repeated.

“No, I’m still stuck on that thing with Swiss and Liechtenstein.”

“There are several stories,” Darcy said with a throwaway gesture. “I’m going to tell you them some other time.”

“Why not now?” Steve asked.

“Because we have things of actual political impact to discuss.”

“No we don’t,” Steve countered. “I think we covered it all. And now we wait.”

Darcy sighed. “I’ll tell you another time, okay?”

“Promises, promises,” Steve said, but grinned. “I’m still waiting on your education about red carpet fashion.”

“Well, there will be plenty of opportunities for that in the future, right?”

Steve’s face fell immediately and Darcy wondered at his reaction for a moment.

“Oh, yeah,” Steve said unenthusiastically.

Darcy frowned at him. “You okay with that?” she then asked carefully.

Steve looked at her pensively for a moment, making her uneasy. “Yeah, just…” Steve cleared his throat awkwardly, then sat forward and looked at her earnestly. “I’ve been thinking. About us, about our fake relationship spiel.”

“Oh,” Darcy said, carefully neutral, unsure how to react.

“Do you-”

Several things happened all at once. Steve’s phone began to ring, a millisecond later Jarvis interrupted them: “Captain, there’s been news.”

And before the AI could say anything further, Maria appeared again. “Steve,” she said without preamble, stepping into the room and handing him the tablet in her hand. “There’s been a domestic Hydra attack. We’ve been asked for immediate assistance, all of the Avengers. Suit up.”

The effect was immediate. Steve jumped up from his chair, jaw set, highly concentrated on Maria and took a cursory glance at the information in front of him.

“The others?” he asked.

“Getting ready as we speak.”

“What about Sam?”

“Do we need additional aerial support?” Maria wanted to know.

“Yes,” Steve nodded.

“I’ll contact him and have him picked up from DC,” Maria said.

“Good.” Steve went for the door. He stopped in the doorframe, turned around and stared at her for a moment.

“We’ll talk after?” Darcy simply offered.

“Yes, we will.”

~*~

The wait was nerve-racking this time around. The last time Steve had gone on a mission it had clearly been a planned thing, planned, thought-out and then executed. But this time it was an actual emergency where nobody really knew what they were getting into. She’d known immediately that it wasn’t good because the government had felt the need to call in the Avengers, the heavy hitters. This was big. Because like she’d told Steve not even ten minutes earlier: Despite her and Maria’s efforts, they hadn’t been at the stage of “let’s call in the Avengers” yet. Not by a long shot.

And because it was an emergency the information trickled in very slowly. Maria had told her that there had been an incident just outside of Raleigh, North Carolina, and that Chitauri tech was involved. The current assumption was that Hydra was responsible, too, making it their first attack on American soil since the fall of SHIELD.

Darcy kept busy in order to distract herself. She tried to be prepared for all the possible outcomes and began tracking the media coverage that had gained momentum. She drew up several releases for the aftermath of the battle, each of them differing depending on how the mission would turn out. She helped Maria coordinate with other law enforcement involved, making sure to highlight that the Avengers were there in an official capacity and were ready to take point in this but wouldn’t overstep their bounds.

She couldn’t listen in on the actual intelligence from the combat area, though. There were no cameras on site yet, so the only pictures they had were from Tony’s suit. She sat in the situation room for a short while until the explosions in the background, the chaos and the screaming had become too much. The team on coms had sounded calm and collected, though – and extremely capable, but even Steve’s, Captain America’s, collected aura had done nothing to suppress the rising panic and worry.

She checked in with Jane and Pepper regularly. Jane was too deep into science to really worry about Thor and Pepper, while worried, also distracted herself with work. She assured Darcy though that these days she was less concerned about Tony, because he was out with his friends and team mates who had each other’s back. She was sure that Tony wouldn’t do anything stupid, especially not with Steve as their leader.

The operation lasted 17 hours, well during the night and into the early hours of the morning. Darcy got a few fitful hours of sleep at some point, but couldn’t really rest. When Jarvis told her that the team was in the all clear, there were a few details to be taken care of, she breathed a sigh of relief. She checked with Maria if there were any things to be done, sent out the press release, then sagged down onto the couch in the common room in relief and was asleep within seconds.

She was awoken by loud voices a few hours later. She got up and saw the Avengers walking in.

“I don’t know what happened,” Sam said. He was dirty and sweaty and had a cut above his right eyebrow.

Tony went to the fridge immediately and took a cursory glance inside. “We are ordering food,” he then announced. “Jarvis, you know the drill.”

“Of course, Sir.”

“So what do we do?” Bruce asked.

“I don’t know,” Natasha said.

“Maybe Darcy could-” Tony began and then saw her sitting on the couch.

“Hey,” Darcy simply said. Then she registered that Steve had not walked in with his team. Her heart stuttered for a moment.

“Where is Steve?” she demanded and didn’t even care how it sounded. “I thought you were all unharmed.”

“Your boy is fine,” Tony said. “He just ran off and we don’t know why. He was supposed to go into medical, the last blow he got was ugly.”

“What happened?”

“We don’t know,” Natasha shrugged. “He refused to tell us.”

“He was brooding during the whole flight back,” Clint added. He was limping and sat down next to her, heavily, groaning.

“Why aren’t you in medical?” Darcy frowned at him.

“I’ll get there eventually.”

“So, Steve?” Darcy then asked.

“In a mood,” Sam answered. “We were wondering if you wanted to be the first to take a shot at him. You have unrestricted access to his apartment, right?”

~*~

Steve sat on his couch, confused and injured. He had blocked the last blow aimed at him with his shield but the force of impact had thrown him through three walls and ended with him hitting a steel wall. He felt like the left side of his body was one gigantic bruise.

But that wasn’t even the worst. He was still trying to grasp what had happened on the battlefield. How things had turned out the way they had. He really wanted to mull over it alone for a while.

So he wasn’t thinking very welcoming thoughts when Darcy walked into his apartment. She stepped over the top part of his uniform, his gloves and his helmet that lay discarded on the floor and stopped a few feet away from him, her arms crossed in front of her chest. She looked at him critically.

“Steve, are you okay?” she asked softly.

“I’m fine, Darcy,” he said harshly.

“You don’t sound fine,” Darcy countered. “And you were supposed to go into medical.”

“I’m fine,” he said with more force than intended. “I just want to be alone for a bit. Is that too much to ask?”

Darcy raised her eyebrows at him. “Yes, because we are worried about you. I was actually sent by your friends and team mates. I quote: ‘Just because your bones knit themselves together doesn’t mean you shouldn’t talk about whatever happened to you back in North Carolina.’ So don’t push me away, Rogers.”

Steve sighed and then winced from the pain in his left side.

“I can let you wallow but I will not like it and then I will send Sam in next. Because we are not leaving you alone in this funk – whatever got you into it to begin with.”

Steve looked up at her and realised that she wouldn’t back down in this. He scooted over to make space for her on the couch next to him. “Can you stay and just say nothing for a while?”

“Yeah, I can.”

She sat down next to him and did as promised. Steve felt himself relax almost immediately. It was good to not be alone, he admitted to himself. And it was good to have Darcy at his side. She would understand. Understand if he told her everything and understand if he said nothing.

“I think Bucky was there,” Steve said barely audible, a few minutes later. Darcy’s only reaction was a sharp intake of breath. “The Hydra goons around me kept getting shot from a distance. Headshots, from a talented sniper. They fell like chess pieces. I checked out the sniper’s nest afterwards. There are only a handful of people worldwide who can make these shots, at that distance, and only one of them is affiliated with us… with me.” Steve took a shuddering breath. “Why didn’t he try to make contact? He’s clearly on our side. He helped us… me. Why didn’t he come to us afterwards? Or before? Or in the middle?”

“Maybe there was too much law enforcement on site for his taste,” Darcy pointed out. “Maybe that’s why he didn’t want to reveal himself.”

“He could’ve found a way.” Steve ran his hand through his hair. “He got there to begin with. He’s a world class operative. And doesn’t he know that I’ve been searching for him everywhere? It’s just so goddamn frustrating. Doesn’t he want to have anything to do with me anymore? I’m so disappointed.”

He felt Darcy’s hand on his shoulder. “Steve,” she said softly, “don’t cut yourself up over this, it’s not your fault.”

“You know that it damn well is.”

“No, it’s not,” Darcy objected. “It’s Bucky’s decision. You have to respect it if he doesn’t want to come in from the cold.”

“But why?” Steve said, frustrated. “He remembers me. He must, because he protected me. What have I done that he doesn’t want to have any contact with me?”

“Maybe he doesn’t want to make his own healing too dependent on yours. Maybe he needs to find himself first, before he finds you.”

“But then he should just get in contact and tell me that he wants to be left alone. For a while. Forever. Not leave me in this state of limbo.”

“You told me yourself that you would let him go, leave Bucky be his own person again.”

“That was before he was so close,” Steve said honestly. “I had told myself that I’d be okay with never seeing him again, but now… he was so close and he remembers, he must. Do you think he’s punishing me?”

Darcy cupped his cheek gently and forced him to look at him. “No, because it’s not your fault,” she repeated. “From everything I’ve heard about Bucky, do you really think he’d be so petty? Punish you? Especially when you are convinced that he remembers you? His best friend who he spent his life protecting?”

Steve stared at her for a moment. “Thank you,” he then said.

“Have I convinced you of your innocence?” Darcy asked.

“No, but it’s good that you’re here and trying to do it.”

Darcy smiled at him affectionately. “You’re welcome.”

She looked him right in the eyes for a moment. Steve couldn’t quite decipher her gaze. Her hand was still resting on his cheek and he expected her to pull it away any second. But instead she leaned towards him and kissed him.

The kiss was unexpected. Darcy’s mouth was soft against his and she swept her thumb over his cheekbone. It was almost innocent, no tongue, she just pressed her lips to his for a few seconds before pulling away. She stared at him for a second and didn’t move and then Steve leaned forward to kiss her again.

This time it escalated more quickly. Darcy made a surprised sound, then she melted into him, her lips moving against his. Steve could feel her fingers threading trough his hair. He pulled her closer and untucked her shirt.

They shifted without breaking the kiss so that Darcy was straddling him. She grabbed fistfuls of his shirt, pulling it up. Steve’s hand slipped under her shirt, exploring her soft skin, letting one of his hands trail along her ribcage. Darcy’s hands wandered along his torso.

Steve let out a sharp cry of pain when she touched his injured ribs and they both froze, ending the kiss. They stared at each other, wide-eyed, their faces inches apart. Steve’s gaze fell to Darcy’s red, swollen lips before she pushed away and jumped up from the couch.

“Oh my god,” she then exclaimed, putting even more distance between them. “Oh my god.”

She leaned against the living room wall, refusing to meet his eyes and running her hand through her hair. It was tangled and messy and Steve realised that this was his doing. Her shirt was still untucked and rumpled and she pulled it down hastily.

He stared at her, wide-eyed, still breathing heavily.

“That was-” Steve finally began.

“A mistake,” Darcy said quickly, “a huge mistake.” She looked at him. “I didn’t mean to take advantage of you,” Darcy rushed out.

“Advantage? How-”

“Really, I’m sorry I did this. Obviously you’re injured,” Darcy gestured at his injured left side, and Steve belatedly realised that he should pull his shirt back down to cover the bruising, “and were-, are, _are_ in a very emotional state and I really didn’t mean to make this any more difficult for you.”

“What-” Steve looked at her questioningly. “I kissed you, too.” He moved to get up to get closer to her.

“Don’t get up!” Darcy held up her hands. “You are injured, you should rest. I did everything wrong.”

“Darcy-”

“Seriously, please forget this ever happened,” Darcy pleaded. “I really don’t want this to ruin our friendship.”

Steve’s heart fell. He continued staring at Darcy and he could tell that it was weirding her out, but then it took Steve a moment to gather his thoughts, too. This had meant nothing to her. Whatever she had done, it was not because she had feelings for him. She still wanted nothing more than friendship.

“Already forgotten,” Steve said flatly. “I’m-” he began.

“I think I should leave,” Darcy cut him off. “Yeah, that’s probably for the best,” she nodded to herself. “Let you heal. I’ll send Sam along,” she said, heading for the door.

“Darcy, wait-” Steve tried to stop her but she had already fled from the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Psst, Darcy is totally on top of things. [Political instability in the European Union](http://www.cfr.org/conflict-assessment/preventive-priorities-survey-2016/p37364) is a new contingency that was introduced this year in the Council on Foreign Relations' (CFR) eighth annual Preventive Priorities Survey. Yes, I do read this stuff for fun.
> 
> Anyone wanna know why I chose a place outside of Raleigh, NC? There's [Pemberley, Apex](https://goo.gl/maps/zPtNyghCeRJ2) close by ;-)


	25. Chapter 24

### Chapter 24

**Hydra facilities shut down in North Carolina – Avengers on site**

A year after the fall of SHIELD and exposing Hydra to the world, the terrorist organisation was dealt another major blow when in a concerted effort law enforcement managed to shut down a major base of operation close to Raleigh, North Carolina.

The site, an abandoned factory building with major underground facilities, had been under surveillance for weeks after an anonymous tip had started investigations in the area. When further observation led to the belief that a Hydra attack on several American institutions was imminent, law enforcement decided to strike early and pre-emptively.

It was the first anti-terrorism mission on American soil since the fall of SHIELD.

It was also the Avengers’ first deployment since the Battle of New York. The team, led by Captain America, was asked for official assistance when underground facilities and the group’s arsenal turned out to be more extensive than previously thought and was instrumental in ending the fight early.

“They arrived and had the situation under control within minutes,” a first responder described the situation. “They were highly effective on their own but worked with the local authorities every step of the way.”

“You would think that such an elite unit would just swoop in and do things their own way and then claim all the fame,” another eyewitness on scene said, “but no, they were courteous and respectful and simply wanted to help.”

“Afterwards the Captain and his team made sure that everybody was well and accounted for. You could tell that they were tired and exhausted and in some cases injured, but they stayed until it was safe for everybody. We have them to thank that we didn’t have any casualties on our side.”

An official reaction from the Avengers was quick to applaud the reaction of the local authorities and their thorough investigation leading to the anti-terrorism mission. It further emphasised the effective cooperation.

“We are committed to helping wherever the Avengers’ expertise is needed. We look forward to further cooperation with the US government and law enforcement and volunteer the Avengers’ professional knowledge in whatever capacity they deem necessary.”

~*~

Bucky’s trail had gone cold quickly. Once Steve had told the rest of the Avengers about his suspicions that Bucky had taken an active part in their latest assignment they had tried to track him but again there was no sign of his best friend. He’d vanished off the face of the earth once more. It was gut-wrenching.

And his other friend had slipped through his fingers, too: Darcy was avoiding him as well and was doing a good job, too. The morning after their kiss Jarvis informed him that Darcy had cancelled all their further public appearances. He caught up with her in her office. She was working on something and didn’t see or hear him approach. He remained standing in the doorframe and cleared his throat awkwardly, making her look up at him. Her expression was painfully neutral.

“Hey Steve,” she said evenly. “What can I do for you?”

“I just wanted to know… You’ve cancelled our… our evening plans until further notice.”

“Oh, yeah, I thought you wanted to focus on Bucky,” Darcy explained. “Follow some leads.”

“Yeah… we are trying, but the trail has gone cold.”

“Oh… I’m sorry, Steve. But then I figured you also had to do a lot of post-mission paperwork to do? Maria mentioned something.”

“So it’s not about-” Steve trailed off.

“Our kiss? No.” Darcy shook her head. “You said it’s all forgotten, right? Also, I have a lot on my plate with the Avengers’ first official assignment on US soil since the fall of SHIELD,” she said airily.

“Oh,” Steve couldn’t entirely keep the disappointment out of his voice. “Okay. So no more excursions into the city then?”

“Not for a while, no.”

So she was trying to let him down softly and keeping her distance, at least for a while.

She looked at him questioningly. “Is there anything else?”

“No,” Steve shook his head, dejected. “Let me know if you want to do something together.”

“Will do.”

Every attempt to talk to her afterwards failed, he could never get her alone to talk, she managed to dodge every attempt. Steve figured that he should give her a little time and space. He himself was still trying to figure out her reaction.

How she had gotten it into her head that their kiss was somehow her fault, that she had taken advantage of him in some way? He had wanted this, for ages really. And after all, he had kissed her back. But maybe that was why she was avoiding him, because they had kissed each other and it had meant nothing to her and she was putting some distance between them to turn him down softly.

Maybe it had been fate that he’d been interrupted by an assemble order before he could’ve made a complete idiot out of himself. He had almost said something, asked her out for real, told her that he wasn’t content with the status quo any longer. But then maybe her turning him down directly would’ve been easier than this, their friendship falling apart because of one stupid moment of weakness. Steve pretended as if nothing had happened and Darcy seemed to act as if it wasn’t affecting her personally at all, but they couldn’t go back to what they’d had before. Especially not when he was in love with her and the feelings weren’t reciprocated.

He missed her.

~*~

“Are you and Steve stuck in rom com hell?” Jane wanted to know.

Darcy looked up from the neatly organised piles of paper on Jane’s desk. Her replacement as Jane’s assistant was doing a much better job than Darcy could ever have done. “Nooo,” she protested. “Why?”

“You are acting weird.”

“We are?”

“Yes,” Jane stated. “First, over the last three days, you’ve been hanging out in my lab a lot and you had movie night with me after Thor left for Asgard yesterday and you went out to grab Chinese food all by yourself the day before even though Steve usually accompanies you and there’s a ton of other stuff. Not that I mind you spending so much time with me, but it is weird. It’s like you are hiding out or something.”

“I’m trying to figure stuff out, okay?” Darcy said defensively. And she had avoided Steve after he had appeared in her office. Jarvis had helped with that. Darcy didn’t even know what she was trying to figure out to begin with. She knew that she was head over heels in love with Steve. The only question was what she wanted to do about it. Because one tiny lapse of judgement from her, one kiss, might have destroyed everything.

Jane frowned at her. “Why, what happened?”

Darcy sighed and then decided to be honest with Jane. “I kissed him, after they returned from the Hydra mission.”

Jane stared at her. “And he didn’t kiss you back?” she then asked.

“No, we kissed each other.”

“Was the kiss terrible?”

“No! As far as kissing goes it was a great kiss…” Darcy trailed off for a moment, remembering. “Even though he told me right at the beginning that he’s a terrible kisser…”

“Then what’s the problem?” Jane looked actually confused. “Why are you not kissing right now? Why are you not doing more… pleasurable things?”

“Because it was a mistake.”

“What?!”

“Because he was vulnerable and I just wanted to kiss him and make things better and I exploited him when he was injured and confused and… We both kind of agreed that it was a mistake and should be forgotten and I don’t know how he feels about me, really.”

“Darcy,” Jane said and Darcy could tell how much of an effort it was for her to not lose her patience, “everybody with two eyes can see how he feels about you. The press and all the assembled tabloids can see how he feels about you. Even random strangers on the internet can see how he feels about you. And trust me, Steve wouldn’t do anything against his will. To me it looks like he’s a willing participant in all of this.”

“But then why does he always offer to fabricate our fake break up so I can be free?”

“That you have to ask him,” Jane pointed out.

“Yeah, I think I’ll mull over it a little bit longer.”

Jane rolled her eyes dramatically. “You are so stuck in rom com hell! Seriously, this is ridiculous and I have zero patience for this drama. You like him, he likes you, you’ll figure out the rest. Just talk to him. Usually you don’t shy away from a challenge.”

“Yeah, but this is different.”

“No, it’s not. And avoiding Steve will not change your feelings for him. So get on with it already.”

~*~

His team mates cornered Steve after their latest strategy meeting a few days later.

“Steve, sit,” Natasha ordered when Steve got up to follow Maria out of the room.

He frowned at her, but Nat looked dead serious, so he fell back into his chair.

“We need to talk to you,” Sam began.

“About Darcy,” Tony added.

“We’ve been asking ourselves if we need to stage an intervention,” Bruce said.

“Yeah, because things have been… weird,” Clint commented.

“We were kind of considering getting Thor involved, like Lady Catherine de Bourgh style telling you to stay away from Darcy, so that you would declare your undying love,” was Tony’s contribution.

“Or go the Much Ado about Nothing way,” Bruce added. “Very loud whispered conversations about how much in love with each other you are.”

“You know, _anything_ that would force you to change the status quo between you two,” Natasha explained. “Even I had to get creative.”

“There’s no need for that,” Steve said flatly.

“What?” Nat looked at Steve in suspicion. “Why? What happened?”

“We kissed.”

“Wooohooo!” Tony cheered.

“Booyah!” Clint bumped his fist against Tony’s. Bruce looked absolutely delighted.

“But why are you so miserable then?” Sam asked, frowning. “You look like somebody shot your puppy.”

“Because Darcy said it was a mistake and-” Steve shrugged helplessly. “She wants to forget all about it. She’s acting as if nothing happened.”

“No, she’s not,” Natasha disagreed.

“Yes, she is.”

“No, she’s not,” Natasha repeated. “Trust me, I can tell. Because one, I’m a spy, I read people and two, I’m not the angsty blind lovesick idiot that fell in love with his friend slash fake girlfriend.”

Steve stared at her for a moment and even the other four men looked taken aback by her tone. “Thanks for the brutal honesty, I guess?”

“Well, you deserve it, because I tried _everything_ and you were both total morons about the whole situation,” Nat said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “Even now. I mean, why do you think Darcy is avoiding you to begin with?”

“Out of guilt?” Steve suggested.

Natasha punched Steve in the arm, hard. “You are both idiots. You could’ve had the relationship you pretended to fake months ago, but no, you had to be especially obtuse about it and persuade yourself that you were totally fine.”

“That’s true,” Bruce agreed and Sam, Tony and Clint nodded.

“So, what is your advice now then?” Steve asked. “I’m willing to take it.”

“Tell her,” Nat simply said.

“What?”

“Just go ahead and tell her that you fell in love with her,” Natasha sounded as if she was talking with a very stubborn 3-year old. “And that you want to have a real relationship with her, not the fake-but-not-so-fake-anymore thing.”

“I can’t do that!” Steve protested.

“Yes, you can and you will,” Natasha said in a tone that brooked no opposition. “There’s no other way. If she rejects you – which she will not, because Darcy is as far gone for you as you are for her – you’ll at least have no regrets that come with never trying. But Darcy won’t say no, that is, if you don’t mess it up spectacularly and this time tomorrow you’ll hopefully fall asleep in her bed. Or she in yours.”

Steve looked at the other guys for help.

“Nat has a point,” Clint said, shrugging.

“And seriously, the tabloids and random strangers on the internet could tell how much in love with each other you are,” Sam pointed out.

“You’ve made this complicated,” Bruce added. “So, you need, you know, the simple approach.”

“I agree,” Tony said, “though I have a suggestion: I think you should wait until tomorrow to speak with the delectable Miss Lewis. You are nervous and have been fretting about this way too much already. So tonight we are going to take you out to take your mind off things. We can make further plans for your declaration of undying love at the bar downtown.”

~*~

**Cap’s low-key bachelor night!**

It was an all boys’ night out for the Avengers leading to the speculation that we might just have witnessed Cap’s goodbye to singledom. Captain America, Iron Man, Hawkeye, and Dr Banner together with Colonel Rhodes and another unnamed friend were seen out for drinks last night, hitting several different establishments.

“Tony Stark was definitely in charge of the night’s entertainment,” an eyewitness confirms, adding spark to the speculation since Stark is supposed to be Cap’s best man, who is customarily planning the groom’s last night of freedom (pun so intended). “He got them all drunk and smoking cigars.”

If you were looking for some little (or maybe major) scandal to happen on said bachelor party like the classics: Waking up with a random stranger, strippers in Avengers themed costumes, and/or missing groom The Hangover-style – no such luck. The sober groom-to-be had to take care of his drunken groomsmen himself and got them all home to the tower safe and sound around 2 am.

~*~

Being woken up to coverage of the Avenger’s impromptu bar crawl irritated Darcy to no end the next morning. Apparently everybody was now once again convinced that – despite Steve assurances on Twitter on the contrary – they were on the brink of matrimony. The current consensus was that their ‘super secret spy nuptials’ would take place on Steve’s birthday the next week. Most of the time Darcy wasn’t really bothered by the tabloid coverage any more. She had reached a zen place about it and had long realised that being with Steve was worth the added tabloid scrutiny, but the wedding buzz now came at a time where she really didn’t want to deal with the rumours about her own love life, not when she had lain awake half of the night trying to figure it out herself.

She had no idea what to do. After her conversation with Jane yesterday she had actually tried to find Steve to talk to him but he had not been around (he’d been out, partying, Darcy thought annoyed) and after that she had quickly lost her courage. Sure, she had pushed Steve away first, but if he really wanted more out of their relationship he would’ve done more, might have taken the risk? He was the superhero who jumped out of airplanes without a parachute after all.

Maybe she should just end it, cut her losses, deal with the heartbreak. Hadn’t she told Steve once upon a time that she had their fake break-up figured out perfectly anyway? And she had handled his question if she was avoiding him because of the kiss like a pro, too. She could totally keep up the charade for a few more days or so.

But then, god, she missed Steve so much already.

Right at that moment there was a knock on her apartment door and Jarvis informed her that Steve was on the other side. Darcy hesitated for a moment. What did he want now? Was he trying to figure out the… situation between them as well? Or maybe he just wanted to know how to address the continued wedding rumours, Darcy thought bitterly. For a brief moment she was tempted to simply not answer, to ignore him, but apparently Steve had anticipated her behaviour.

“Darcy,” he said loudly through the closed door. “I know that you are in there, I checked with Jarvis, so will you please open the door?”

She walked to the door and opened it roughly.

“What?” she asked brusquely.

Steve stared at her for a moment. He fidgeted with his hands and Darcy squinted at him. “Can I come in?” he then asked.

“Be my guest.” Darcy stepped aside to let him pass into the open living room area. She followed him and leaned against the kitchen counter. Steve stood at the other side of the room awkwardly.

“So,” Steve started. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

“Yes?” Darcy prompted when he didn’t say anything further.

“So… so… when you said a few days ago that you’d cancelled all our appearances together for a while I was kind of bummed. Because I really like going out with you. I-”

“Yeah right,” Darcy interrupted him, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “What am I again? From that one article, your social bodyguard.”

Steve frowned at her for a moment. “That’s not what I meant.”

“It’s not? Oh, right, you seemed to do pretty fine without me yesterday.”

Steve’s frown deepened and he looked confused for a moment.

“You went out with the boys, partying,” Darcy explained. “I had to read about it in the news this very morning.”

“Natasha was there, too. But you know how the tabloids are.”

“Oh yeah, I _know_ how they are,” Darcy bit back.

Steve stared at her for a moment. “Why the sharp tone?” he then asked quietly.

“You know why.”

“I really don’t… but if I have to guess…” he looked at her questioningly, head tilted to one side. “Is this about the kiss?”

“Of course it’s about the kiss!”

“Well, thank god that we are finally talking about it,” Steve said sarcastically.

“Don’t sass me, Steve. You seemed to be in perfect agreement to act like nothing had happened!”

“You said that it was a mistake first!” Steve said accusatorily. “And then you avoided me.”

“Because I didn’t know what I was supposed to do!” Darcy threw up her hands in frustration.

“Well, neither did I! So I really didn’t want to pester you.”

“But even before that you were the one who always brought up the fake break-up as a safeguard,” Darcy felt necessary to point out.

“So this is not only about the kiss,” Steve stated softly and took two steps towards her. “This is about everything.”

“Yeah, of course this is about everything.”

Steve took a deep breath. “Well…” he then said. “Then I’m putting everything on the table. I brought up the fake break-up, because I really didn’t want you to end up with me against your will. As a matter of fact, I was content with just friendship if that meant not giving up on you at all. Do you know how difficult it is to move from friendship to lovers without losing the friend you fell in love with?”

Darcy’s mouth fell open.

“And I was getting there,” Steve continued. “If you’d let me finish right at the beginning I would’ve asked you out. Out like on a date. No official function, nothing to play the press, not like friends, just, you know, take you out to dinner, or a movie, or dancing, like a date. A real date.”

He stared at her and shrugged a little, helpless, probably because it took a moment for Darcy to gather her thoughts.

“Well…” Darcy swallowed. “If I’d let you finish and you would’ve asked me, then I would’ve said yes.”

Steve looked at her for a moment with an expression of utter delight, then he closed the gap between them with two long strides and pulled Darcy into his arms.

“That’s good, that’s really, really good,” Steve said relieved, staring down at her affectionately and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“What else did you expect, you big oaf,” Darcy said, grinning up at him. “I really wanted more than friendship. For a long time. But I was as afraid as you were. Also, if you don’t kiss me any second now, I’m going to be really offended.”

Steve grinned widely for a moment and then bent down to kiss her. It was tentative at first, his mouth open and vulnerable. Darcy stood on her tiptoes, palmed the back of his neck and pulled him closer, fitting her lips to his. Steve buried his hands in her hair and pressed her back against the kitchen counter, then – without breaking the kiss – hoisted her up and sat her on the counter and Darcy wrapped her legs around his waist.

They pulled apart, gasping for air and stared at each other for a moment. Darcy’s hand had slipped under Steve’s shirt and was caressing his hipbone. Steve had one hand resting on her waist, the other one was tracing her collar, distractedly.

“When you first kissed me,” Steve said, “you didn’t take advantage of me.”

“What?” Darcy asked, confused.

“You didn’t exploit my vulnerability when I was injured and confused over Bucky. I’d wanted to kiss you for weeks. Months maybe. I almost kissed you the night I left for Estonia.”

“So there was something that night! I couldn’t tell, I thought my sleep-addled brain was playing tricks on me and then when you returned you behaved as if nothing had happened!”

“Yeah…” Steve shrugged, “that was stupid.”

“Well, we’ll just have to make up for the lost weeks then,” Darcy said cheekily, pulled him close for another kiss and he grinned against her mouth.

When Darcy untucked his shirt and undid his belt, Steve pulled away for a second and stared at her questioningly.

“Are you sure?” he asked. “Because I really wanted to take you on that date.”

Darcy rolled her eyes dramatically. “Yes, I am. Also, we’ve had plenty of dates and roughly nine months of foreplay. Take me on the date after. Now: bedroom.”

~*~

Darcy woke up to the sound of rain softly tapping against the window. She felt content and warm – probably because she was pressed against Steve’s broad, naked chest. They had never made it out of the apartment the day before.

An arm snuck around her waist, securing her against him. “Don’t get up,” Steve murmured softly into her hair. His voice was thick with sleep, low, deep, and warm.

“I don’t plan to.” Darcy turned around in his arms. “That’s the best thing about rainy Saturdays: You can stay in bed all day.”

“That’s a good plan,” Steve grinned. “The master tactician approves.”

“You still need to take me on that date, though,” Darcy pointed out. “At some point.”

“I will,” he promised, then kissed her softly and thoroughly.

“How much of a field day do you think our friends are going to have?” Darcy asked when they pulled apart.

“They are going to be unbearable for a while. I bet Natasha has already texted something like ‘A simple thank you will suffice, no need to name your firstborn after me’. She’s the one who convinced me to talk to you,” Steve explained.

“She’s going to be incredibly smug,” Darcy agreed.

“But I don’t care, it’s worth it.”

Darcy looked at Steve and idly played with the hair at the nape of his neck. “Out of curiosity: When did you first realise you were falling me?”

Steve thought for a moment. “In retrospect? The night of the gala with the Brooklyn Medical Society.”

“That was ages ago!”

“Yeah… I know… My feelings didn’t really immediately register that night, but you were particularly stunning-”

“An outfit totally wasted on the occasion,” Darcy snorted.

“And it was afterwards… at that hole in the wall pizza place. I was watching your hair fall down and taking off your shoes and it just... took my breath away.”

“Hmm,” Darcy hummed.

“What about you?” Steve asked.

“When you left for Estonia,” Darcy said.

“It’s the uniform, right?” Steve teased.

Darcy swatted his arm playfully. “It wasn’t that… Even though the uniform has a certain appeal… But I was missing you, a lot. Jane and Tony wouldn’t even let me hear the end of it. And I was kind of waiting for a sign when you returned… but nothing happened.”

“I tried not to ruin our friendship.”

“I know.”

“We were both idiots.”

“Yes we were.”

~*~

**All tied up**

We know, State Dinner at the White House is something we usually don’t cover here at the _Daily Ledger_ , but we couldn’t resist this time around, because the Captain and Darcy were among the invited guest and obviously won the evening with this perfect picture.

Look at them! She’s casually adjusting his bow tie and his expression is priceless! All smug and comfortable and clearly at ease with Darcy taking care of business. But then, next to every great man is an amazing woman.

The next picture in the series has him looking down at her so adoringly that we almost feel sorry that the two couldn’t sneak out of this event early this time like they are known to do. Click through the gallery and take a look at our favourite political powerhouse!

~*~

The morning after Steve’s birthday dawned bright and beautiful. Steve and Darcy had gotten up early and sneaked off in direction of Central Park. It was nice to get out before everybody else. Even though New York was the city that never sleeps, there was a time shortly after dawn when it wasn’t fully awake. For Steve and Darcy, it was a great opportunity to get out relatively undetected and then wander the city. Avoiding the summer heat for a little while was another added benefit.

Steve’s birthday celebration the day before had been quiet, like he’d wanted. It had been nice to celebrate it with his friends. Darcy had gone all out on patriotic baked goods, which had featured extensively on Steve’s twitter and even led to the #patrioticpastry trending for a few hours, when other people shared their pictures, too.

Steve still felt a pang of sorrow because Bucky had not been among his guests. Yet. He was sure Bucky would make contact soon. Maybe his next birthday would be different. He had to let Bucky come in on his own terms, in his own time.

They were ambling through the park for a while, quietly sipping the coffee they’d gotten at the café close to the entrance and then sat down on one of the benches and watched the city wake up around them. Steve sat relaxed, his eyes half closed as he leaned back on the bench and let the sun shine on his face. Darcy was sitting next to him, her head resting on his shoulder while she watched people – couples, families, people with dogs – stroll by and enjoyed that nobody seemed to recognise them.

Somebody sat down next to them heavily, making Steve’s head shoot up in surprise.

“Hi Steve,” James Buchanan Barnes said conversationally. “Happy belated birthday.”

Both Darcy and Steve stared at him with their mouths hanging open.

“Bucky?” Steve finally managed to press out.

“The very one. Don’t have all of my memories back, but yeah, that’s what I was known by, back in the day…”

Darcy and Steve still gaped at him, unsure what to say.

“Don’t worry, I’m not dangerous, I’m not killing anybody,” Bucky sounded chipper. “I don’t have a mission. I am mostly myself. I know my history. _All_ of my history and I’m doing as well as you can expect under these circumstances.”

Steve stared at his best friend and didn’t know what to do. He was afraid of touching him, because that would make it real – or not. He could wake up any minute.

“But, you know,” Bucky shrugged, “sometimes I need help and I figured it’s time that I come back to you after I led you and your friends on a merry goose chase across several continents.”

Steve took a shuttering breath. He was absolutely speechless. He had hoped that in the end it would turn out easy, that Bucky would come back to him just like that, but this situation was just too unexpected.

“Okay,” Bucky squinted at both of them, “your non-reaction is getting a little creepy. Are you two alright?”

“Just… surprised,” Darcy provided.

“Yeah,” Steve said slowly. “How are you? How have you been? Where have you been? We’ve been looking for you.” Steve didn’t manage to keep the accusation out of his voice entirely.

“Oh, here and there… looking for myself, really. I know you were searching for me but I needed to do this on my own. I needed the distance, from everything.”

“How do we know we can trust you?” Steve had to ask. He wanted Bucky back so desperately, but with everything that had happened he had to make sure that he wasn’t unintentionally endangering the loved ones around him.

“You can’t,” Bucky simply said. “There are times when I cannot trust myself either. But we can try our best.”

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Darcy chimed in, “but do you want to go someplace safe? And not do this in public?”

Steve’s head swivelled around to secure the area. He hadn’t even thought about this. They were doing this in public for everyone to see.

“Don’t worry, there are no paparazzi around,” Bucky said. “I made sure of that. I don’t fancy becoming an overnight celebrity sensation like you two. Not when I’ve come to appreciate the outdoors and the sun now that I can travel by myself again. Thanks for not mentioning me at the hearing, by the way.”

“You are… welcome,” Steve said hesitatingly.

“I guess it was your doing, wasn’t it?” Bucky asked Darcy.

“Well,” Darcy shrugged. “Steve insisted to keep you out of it, and you know how he is when he sets his mind to it.” Bucky grinned at that. “I had to come up with a strategy.”

“Much appreciated.”

“So will you come back to the tower with us?” Darcy asked.

Bucky shook his head no. “Not yet. It’s not time for that yet. But I felt it was time to tell you that I am here, in the city. And I’m doing good. I have a place and I will give you my number so we can stay in contact. I am not running any longer and you don’t have to run after me. And you guys work on your side, make all the preparations, with the public, with your new team and all.” Bucky hesitated for a moment. “Mostly… mostly with Stark Junior… I killed his father, his parents.” Bucky swallowed hard and looked away.

Steve thought for a split second, lunged at him and hugged him, desperately. “I’m just so glad to have you back,” he mumbled into Bucky’s shoulder, while Bucky was at first frozen in his embrace and then slowly relaxed. “This is the best birthday gift ever.”

“Even better than that time in ‘37 when I gave you that art book with drawings from the Uffizi in Florence that was one of your most coveted possessions?”

“Much, much better.”

Steve straightened back up, but let his hand rest on Bucky’s forearm, afraid that with the loss of the physical connection Bucky would somehow disappear, too.

“But enough about me,” Bucky announced cheerfully, “I have been following your story, you know, the epic tabloid romance, closely and I gotta say that I’m pretty sure that the press had it all wrong right from the beginning. A lot of details are still hazy but I distinctly remember that you, Steve, were never good with beautiful dames. So I thought I might want to find out how an awkward turtle like you managed to make such a catch.”

Steve barked out a surprised laugh.

“Oh, that’s quite a story.” Darcy grinned. “Are you ready for this?”

“Let’s hear it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's an epilogue to follow and then I'm done! I'll try to post it within the next few days!
> 
> If you want to find out, how Steve and Darcy deal with the next onslaught of wedding buzz, find [an outtake I posted on tumblr here](http://amerna.tumblr.com/post/137254247536/im-procrastinating).
> 
> Darcy adjusting Steve’s bowtie [was inspired by this](http://washingtonpost.tumblr.com/post/129915045947/caption-this-photo).
> 
> Bucky giving Steve a book about Italian art for his birthday back in the 30s is from [History Painting by M_Leigh](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1898775)
> 
> For **SarahOl1** who wanted foodporn after chapter 21, which I couldn't provide then, but can provide now! Some patriotic baked goods for Steve's birthday:  
> [Patriotic s’mores cookies](http://addaspoonfullofsugar.tumblr.com/post/124239744475/fullcravings-patriotic-smores-cookies)  
> [American Flag Oreo Pops](http://easybaked.net/2014/06/27/american-flag-oreo-pops/)  
> [4th July parfaits](http://www.supergoldenbakes.com/2014/07/4th-july-parfaits.html)  
> [flag cake #1](http://www.ohsweetbasil.com/flag-cake-recipe.html)  
> [flag cake #2](http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2012/07/flag-cake/)  
> [Red, White & Blue Layered Finger Jello](http://foodffs.tumblr.com/post/123450886004/made-these-festive-layered-jello-cubes-from-this)  
> [Miss American Pie](http://bromabakery.com/2015/06/miss-american-pie.html)  
> [Red, white and blue berry dessert bites](http://www.goodlifeeats.com/red-white-and-blue-berry-dessert-bites/)  
> [Red Velvet Twizzler Cake](http://theseasidebaker.com/red-velvet-twizzler-cake/)  
> [4th of July Patriotic Broken Glass Jello](http://www.foodlibrarian.com/2012/06/4th-of-july-patriotic-broken-glass.html)  
> [15 naturally red, white and blue recipes](http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/15-naturally-red-white-and-blue-recipes/)  
> [Captain America Ice Cream Sandwiches](http://rosannapansino.com/post/90594564887/captain-america-ice-cream-sandwiches-video)


	26. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, this is it, the epilogue, the end. In case you missed it: Everything about Bucky can be found [in a separate story here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5746279). I decided that I wanted the epilogue to be about Steve and Darcy (with one cameo from Bucky) only.
> 
> The last chance to tell you how much fun I had here! I had so much fun writing and posting it and seriously, the reactions I received were overwhelming and extraordinary. Thank you! Thanks to everyone who left kudos and comments and contacted me on tumblr - it's been amazing.
> 
> One final shoutout to the two people I couldn't have done this without:
> 
> [Fiora Miriel](http://fiora-miriel.tumblr.com/), fandom life partner extraordinaire. Even living on different continents is not going to change that.
> 
> [KByrd](http://ikbyrd.tumblr.com/), awesomest of all awesome beta readers. It's been a joy!
> 
> ~~Also: I’m doing a give away. If anybody catches the very obscure West Wing quote in this chapter within the next 7 days (until Jan 24th), I’m going to write a Steve/Darcy story of your choosing for you!~~ Done! Ashley Wells down in the comments found it!

### Epilogue

****

Darcy: Her fashion journey from clumsy college student to pinstriped professional

****

Darcy and the Captain attend Guggenheim international gala

****

Darcy to Steve: Let’s elope!

****

It’s a boy! Captain America to become father early next year

****

Darcy and Pepper: Pregnancy bombshells – click here to see how the two newly single women are dealing with the news that they might never part from their superhero exes for good

****

Disloyal Darcy! She’s cheating on the Captain! Pictures show her with a new beau all over town! Lovesick Captain refuses to accept that she’s bad for him!

****

****  


~*~

**Tweet of the day**

Steve Rogers (@Rogers4Real) aka Captain America when asked how he and girlfriend Darcy Lewis settle disputes

~*~

****

Galentine’s Day – Darcy and Pepper out with friend Dr Foster on Valentine’s Day while their boyfriends are out on an extended mission

****

Captain America living in sin! They moved to their Brooklyn love nest, but Darcy refuses to marry him!

****

****  


~*~

**Does something look familiar to you?**

When Disney Studios confirmed today that they had several superhero themed movies in the pre-production, nobody was surprised really. After all, superheroes are America’s new obsession and more than a decade after the critically acclaimed Howling Commandos show it was time to get some new material.

What people were surprised at was the shameless pandering that they didn’t even try to cover up. Because let’s be real here, everybody knows that “The mystery relationship” (the working title) was definitely influenced by real-life personas. Just look at the two protagonists:

He is a nationally beloved superhero just recovering from a big disappointment.

She is a spunky, feisty intern who works for one of his friends, who he happens to rescue on one of his daring missions.

It’s insta!love, obviously. (And then some of the typical romance tropes thrown it for good measure. Their friends are geniuses and superheroes too!)

Yeah, we all know where that particular screenplay comes from. If I were one of the real-life persons that clearly served as inspiration for this, I would maybe get my lawyers ready.

Meanwhile the superhero themed rom com is currently scheduled to hit theatres in 2018. Just in time for the Captain’s 100th birthday.

~*~ 

**_The reluctant hero_  
** _Ben O’Malley revisits Steve Rogers on the occasion of his 100 th birthday and they talk about the past, the present and the future – and the people along the way._

On a sizzling hot summer day I knock on the front door of an elegant brownstone, shuffle my feet and wait for the door to open. I’ve met Captain America, Steve Rogers, before, years ago, as is well-documented in my most successful article ever. And I guest-edited his own piece about struggling with PTSD two years back. But I am once again nervous. The door is swung open by the lady of the house, Darcy Lewis, barefoot and in a summer dress, who invites me inside. The house I’m entering is cozy and homey. There are books stacked on tables and drawings on the wall (by Steve Rogers himself, I’m told later). Steve Rogers, casually dressed in shorts and a shirt and also barefoot, comes out of the kitchen to greet me, but before I can take the offered hand I gasp and stare when I see his shield, THE shield, the Captain America one-of-a-kind vibranium shield painted in red, white and blue, casually leaning against a chair. Steve follows my look and smiles. “Do you want to hold it?” he asks.

How can I refuse such an offer? Of course I want to. “Let’s head out to the patio then, there’s better space for posing and better light for the pictures,” he suggests, picking up the shield and handing it to me while I nod dumbly and follow him outside.

That being said the two of us spend the first 15 minutes of our interview time out in the back, Captain America taking pictures on my phone of me with his shield until I realize how ridiculous I’m being and try to apologize and retrieve the shreds of my dignity.

But he just smiles. “Oh, I understand. It’s the shield, it’s something special… So I certainly get the appeal.”

“But you are the only one who can wield it properly.”

“No, that’s just a myth from back in the day. Clint is fully capable, too. As are Bucky and Sam.” By which he means Clint “Hawkeye” Barton, Sergeant James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes aka the Winter Soldier and Sam Wilson, the Falcon, respectively. “But I distinctly remember the first time I held it. It was like… god, magic sounds so corny, but it’s hard to describe, it just felt right and I was quite decided that this was supposed to be mine. And then I was shot at, so there went the short honeymoon phase and I realized that it’s also very good to use.”

“You were shot at? Did you receive the shield while in enemy territory?” I ask, flabbergasted.

“Oh no, it was Agent Carter,” he shrugs casually. “I had been a prime idiot to her and it was her way of showing that she wouldn’t let me out of the doghouse for quite some time.”

He has already mentioned one item I wanted to talk to him about. Agent Carter, key member of the SSR, founding member of the now defunct government organization SHIELD and his last living not super-powered contemporary died two years ago at the prime age of 98.

“Yes, it hit me pretty hard, losing Peggy,” he confesses. “She was… always an anchor and a voice of reason. She knew what to do, even in her last years when her own memory began failing her. She was such an incredibly strong woman. And it was just hard that she had to see her life’s work toppled over by the likes of me.”

Again, he’s steering the conversation into the direction I wanted it to take to begin with. He means the fall of SHIELD five years ago, which Captain America – with a small group of followers, consisting amongst others of the Black Widow and the Falcon – orchestrated himself, after he had found out that SHIELD, the supposedly magnanimous covert government agency intent on keeping us all safe, had been corrupted by his old enemy, the Nazi division Hydra, for decades already and was once again plotting world domination.

“You have to do the right thing,” he says when asked about how much of a difficult decision it was to take on and expose Hydra no matter the costs. “You always have to do it. You make your decision based on what you think is right and you stick to it. Yes, we had to destroy SHIELD and for a while the world was a very vulnerable place, but we regained our freedom. Sam used to say that I basically guilt-tripped the SHIELD employees into following me with a rousing speech on that fateful day, but that’s not it. They were all free people who had the right to choose when confronted with the facts. Fight with us, stick with Hydra, do nothing. And they did what they thought was right – as they were free to do. Not even having the chance to do what you think is best, to have your own agency taken away, that’s the worst. And I experienced it first hand… or more second hand with Bucky.”

Again, he’s taking my questions right out of my mouth, because that’s also a topic on my list I desperately wanted to talk with him about. Another blast from the past that came along with the ugly “SHIELD was taken over by Hydra”-revelation was the fact that their deadliest assassin was an old acquaintance, or rather, an old friend: Steve Rogers’ best friend since childhood, James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes.

Barnes, who had supposedly died on a mission led by Captain Rogers himself to catch the Hydra scientist Arnim Zola, had not only survived his fall into the ravine in the Alps thanks to some experiments inflicted on him while he was a POW in a Hydra camp in 1943, but had been turned into the brain washed super assassin the Winter Soldier, who had been doing Hydra’s dirty work for over 50 years.

“What can I say? It’s been hard,” Steve discloses. “Here I was, in the middle of the 21st century, I thought I’d adjusted pretty well, I had made my peace with the things I couldn’t change anyway and then the past comes back to haunt me not only in the form of a foe I’d thought I’d defeated in 1944 but also in form of my brain washed best friend who didn’t recognize me, was tasked to kill me and nearly succeeded.”

At this point Darcy Lewis steps out on the patio with homemade lemonade on a tray and sits down at the table to join us. Steve takes her hand for a second and smiles at her adoringly and I feel like I’m interrupting a private moment.

“But I wanted my friend back,” he continues, “there was still a spark of him, of Bucky, behind his whole Winter Soldier programming and so I went after him after he fell of the edge of the earth when the helicarriers went down.”

“And eventually, you found him,” I urge him along when he is silent for a second.

He shakes his head. “No, he found me… Or better, he found himself and then contacted me. But it was not easy and even after he came back to New York and had gotten into contact we had a very hard time. But that’s not really my story to tell, or at least not my story alone, so you better do your next in-depth character piece with Bucky in case you want to know everything.”

“So there’s still more?” I ask, surprised. “Because you’ve been pretty forward with the whole situation and it’s been a whole media storm for a few months. It’s no secret that your friend was subject to decades of Hydra programming on him and that – after he became more or less himself – is now part of the Avengers. Is there more to the story?”

“Well,” it’s Darcy who chimes in at this point, “for Bucky it’s deeply personal, too, and he should tell his story himself. Yes, all the facts are out there. We’ve always advocated full disclosure on the facts and a very public discussion of them. But his motives, his feelings, remain his alone and we don’t want to speculate on it or talk about it without his explicit permission.”

“I can actually agree with that,” I say. “So, Darcy, does that mean you are here in an official capacity?” I ask her after a moment of silence. “To make sure that I’m asking the right questions?”

Ever since Darcy Lewis took over as their public and political liaison she’s been running a tight ship on the Avengers, their political affiliations and their public personas. She went through a baptism of fire first, though, because she first came to immense public awareness as Steve Rogers’ girlfriend and then had to deal with the implications of the privatization of the world’s security by the Avengers and the murky political waters that followed. She’s been handling all of it with aplomb and is widely respected. Handling the Winter Soldier revelation to the Avengers’ advantage is another feather in her cap.

“Nope,” she smiles, “I’m here to make sure Steve gives the correct answers.” She pokes him in the arm playfully.

“Well, anyway, I better return to my bland prepared questions before I have to face the wrath of PR professional Darcy Lewis.” I wink at her. “So, Captain, tell me, how does it feel to be 100?” I ask. He turned 100 last month and to me, personally, it is still unbelievable that Captain America’s birthday on Independence Day is really an inconceivable coincidence and was not cleverly orchestrated by the war propaganda machine. The 100th birthday of a national hero was also the pretext for me doing another piece on him.

“Oh, I don’t know, I don’t feel older than… I don’t know… 34?” he quips, which is his biological age (in contrast to 100 being his chronological age).

“So, how are you doing these days?”

“Really, that’s the angle you now want to pursue?” he asks. “As you can see, I am doing _swell_. The world is relatively secure, I have my best friend back at my side, a great adopted family in my Avengers team and my Darcy of course. What more can I wish for?” he says with a smile so dazzling he has probably perfected it during his USO days and a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“So, when are you guys getting married?” I ask.

Steve raises an eyebrow in a way that can only mean “Please, not you too,” while Darcy snorts good-naturedly. “You know, we get asked this a lot,” she says while she pats Steve’s hand. “Our standard answer is always ‘When Steve can claim the world record for oldest groom.’ Which is 120 by the way, I googled. The funny thing is, some people took this way too seriously and ran with it for ages. There was a wedding countdown and all. People researched if we would be eligible for the world’s longest engagement if we really waited – which is at 67 years, if you wanted to know. Not that we are engaged to begin with.”

The tabloid coverage on that one doesn’t surprise me at all. The two of them have been a tabloid staple right from the beginning of their relationship and continue to be subject to public scrutiny, but these days in a more subdued manner, because there isn’t much to report apart from the “they are still in a relationship.” There are no announcements or rings on any important fingers, so every now and then reporters will get restless and have them either split up and in an acrimonious fight or secretly married with a baby (or two or three) on the way. There was a brief outcry during a slow news week when conservative people found out that they were living together without having married first. “Captain America living in sin!” is a sentence I never want to hear or see ever again.

“We are both very private persons and don’t relish the press coverage, so we try to ignore it as best as we can. But what can we say, the tabloids had it wrong right from the beginning,” Steve adds, “so we don’t expect any truthful coverage to begin with.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“I didn’t like him at first,” Darcy says much to my surprise.

“Yeah, our first impressions were… less than favorable,” Steve admits.

“We basically relived a modern version of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice while the public thought we were half married already.”

“Seriously?” I eye them suspiciously, clearly asking myself if they are not playing an elaborate prank on me. “With, you know, pining from a distance, failed proposals, long explanatory letters and sisters eloping with mortal enemies?”

This garners a laugh from both of them. “Not that dramatic and elaborate, but we had to get over our own misconceptions and misunderstandings at first. And we had a long way of becoming the couple we are today.” Again, they gaze at each other lovingly and I feel like a third wheel completely.

“And if you want the equivalent of the long letter: Your first article on Steve helped me to understand him a lot better. The title might have been a tad overdramatic, but you captured him and his essentials so well. Things I hadn’t quite caught because I was so busy thinking he was a self-serving asshole.”

“Wow, thanks! I didn’t come here to fish for compliments, but I take it anyway. Are you sure you are not kidding?”

They both shake their heads and I have to take their word for it.

“So, we’ve talked about the past and it’s clear that you are doing well at the moment. Have you had any thoughts about the future?”

“Well, we thought about getting a pet, but then decided against it, because we would both probably forget to feed it,” Steve quips.

“And further down the road?” I inquire.

“There’s our supposed wedding in 2038 or so.”

“So, there are no further plans, really? Come on, you can’t mean that, you are the Star Spangled Man with a Plan after all.”

“Well, I’m actively trying to circumvent the question, in case you haven’t noticed.”

“Why is that?”

He turns serious for a moment. “Well, I never expected to live this long,” he then says. “And I don’t want this to sound suicidal, but as is well-known: I was sick a lot as a kid and then there was the war, where nobody really knew what would happen to you. I never expected to see the 21st century, much less really live in it the way I am doing now. But here I am. You can’t turn back the clocks and start over, but then… I don’t really want to. I am perfectly content the way I am now. And I don’t really want to think or talk about the future, because if this has taught me anything, it’s: Savor the moment.”

~*~

Steven G. Rogers @Rogers4Real

Confession time: Darcy and I, we’ve been keeping a secret from you these past 9 months. Meet Elizabeth Jane. pic.twitter.com/dkiend

~*~

**The Private, the Professional, and the Political  
** _After years of trying to avoid the spotlight, Darcy Lewis steps forward_  
By Jasmine T. Callahan 

Meeting Darcy Lewis is not what I expected at all. When I knock on the door of the Brooklyn address I was given to appear at a specified time and date it’s opened by the lady of the house herself – looking frazzled and out of breath.

She lets out a sigh. “That’s today as well?” she just says to no one in particular and then let’s me step inside, motioning at one of the couches. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be with you in a minute.”

“Am I disturbing you?” I ask, taken off guard.

“I have to get the children ready for the daycare, Steve was called out of town and Ben refused to sleep last night. I’m running on coffee and 20 minutes of sleep.”

There’s a crashing sound from upstairs and a loud “Mommy?” from a boy, which must be Ben, her 2-year old. “Just wait here,” Darcy Lewis says and dashes upstairs.

This is not how I pictured meeting one of the most influential political minds in the world. I tried to be as unbiased as possible about this. I am fully aware that much of our perception of Darcy Lewis has been shaped by mainstream media. I have followed her life and her career extensively. She continues to be a tabloid staple.

But we don’t know much about the woman herself.

Here are the basics: She is the political liaison for the Avengers, the independent peace keeping entity consisting of up to 10 super powered individuals, among them a Norse God, Captain America and a former Russian spy. As such she wields enormous political influence. Several pieces about American and international politics after the attack on New York more than 10 years ago and the fall of SHIELD two years afterwards have detailed how much Darcy Lewis’ decisions and political strategy in the aftermath have shaped the way we think about superheroes.

But the woman herself? She remains a mystery.

We feel like we know a lot about her life due to the fact that the tabloids keep reporting about it. Hence we know that she is in a long-term relationship (not married) with Steve Rogers, aka Captain America. They have two children together, a girl of 5 years and a boy of 2. But still, she remains silent in public, only acts with the press in a professional manner and fiercely protects her private life, especially her children. For all intents and purposes she’s a very powerful person in the background of a very flashy paramilitary group.

That is, until something must have changed. I tried to get an interview with one of the most influential women in the world for years, only to be stonewalled. That I am now able to talk and shadow her for a few days was arranged from their side long after I had given up hope. I wonder what might be the reason for their sudden openness, which I am determined to uncover during the allotted time.

But for now I only have ample time to inspect the first floor of the house she shares with her partner and their two children. It certainly looks very authentic and lived in. There are books on tables and toys on the floor. Her purse stands on the kitchen counter, her laptop bag is leaning against the doorframe to the living room.

When I hear her steps on the stairs circa 10 minutes later I turn around and almost trip over a metal ball lying on the floor. To my horror it levitates and opens above my head to display a complicated construct of metal rings, that change the shape of the… thing constantly.

I hear Darcy Lewis chuckling quietly behind me and wheel around, letting her see the horror that is probably displayed very prominently on my face.

“Thor brought this from Asgard when we first had Lizzy,” she explains. “I would love to go into details about the name, but I cannot, for my life, pronounce it, and you probably need four physics degrees to explain its inner workings properly. Let’s just say that it’s an incredibly advanced toy perfectly pretending to be a ball and that the children love it.”

The children are ready it appears and so is she. Her youngest, a spitting image of his mother, is on her arms, silently fisting her hair and her oldest hides behind her legs, from which she eyes me carefully. I follow them into the kitchen where she sits them both down and prepares breakfast.

“They are both shy around strangers,” she explains while she wheels around in the kitchen. “Oh, and disclaimer right at the beginning: Our children don’t have any super powers. They didn’t inherit any of Steve’s extraordinary physical traits, neither the very frail ones nor the super human ones.”

“That much I didn’t really want to know,” I tell her honestly.

“Yeah, but there’s always speculation in the tabloids and I thought I should clear the air right at the beginning. Anything else you are dying to know?”

“A lot but I’ll get to it later on.”

“Your choice,” she shrugs casually.

“By your reaction at the front door I guess that this is not your usual morning?” I ask to keep the conversation going.

“No, usually Steve helps to prepare and wrangle the children. I take them to work though, they go to daycare at Stark Industries. Steve was called up two days ago and Ben was having a difficult night so here I am, frazzled working mum making a bad impression on the first reporter she talks to in years.”

“Not a bad impression, just an unexpected one.”

~*~

We take the car to the tower and of course get stuck in the morning traffic. This gives me more time to study the woman driving. She is obviously trying to tone down her road rage about NYC drivers in front of a reporter, but you can tell that she is having a hard time doing so.

When she catches my amused look, she looks sheepish. “I try not to swear in front of the children,” she explains.

“Wouldn’t it be easier to just… live in the tower?” I ask. “Other Avengers do too and you both work there…”

She smiles at that for a moment. “Easier? Yes. More comfortable? Definitely. It was a conscious decision not to live there from us both, though.”

“Do you want to elaborate on that?”

It takes a few more minutes while she has to concentrate on navigating the New York traffic until she answers. “As much as we like the idea. We didn’t want to be cooped up there and it is like a gigantic target in the middle of the city. Living on our own in Brooklyn we can at least pretend we have some modicum of normalcy.”

“Pretend being the operative word here,” I say.

“Oh, trust me, you will find out how boring our lives apart from the superhero stamp on our foreheads really are. No pretend there.”

“There’s got to be some downsides to living in Brooklyn? Apart from the morning rush hour?”

“Oh yeah, there’s security in place, obviously, which we didn’t even have to think about when we lived in the tower. Changing vehicles, alternating routes to work, never leave at the exact same time. Our security system at the house is state of the art – Tony installed it. You are constantly reminded that there are people who do not have your best interest at heart, which is why we have to preempt them. And there are times when I hate it.”

“It’s worth it, though, I guess?”

“Totally.”

When we arrive at the tower, we are separated because she heads to the Stark Industries childcare facilities while I’m being equipped with the clearance needed to follow Darcy Lewis around for a few days. I pass the thorough inspection and am escorted to Darcy Lewis’ office on one of the upper levels of the tower.

The floor she works on is bustling with energy and people are milling around. I’m being eyed with suspicion, though, when I walk past so I gather that visitors are not common here, but nobody actually asks any questions so it’s safe to assume that they’ve all been briefed about my coming. I expected nothing else.

When I step into Darcy’s office, I stare at the wall behind her desk for a few seconds. There’s a replica of her boyfriend’s legendary shield hanging there. It catches me off guard.

“This was originally meant as a joke,” Darcy explains when she catches my look, “but I kind of like it. Steve loves it, obviously.”

I’m being introduced to her team next. Darcy supervises a team of five people, that includes a lawyer, a lobbyist, a social media expert, a political science lecturer from a Wakandan university and a former copywriter. Darcy Lewis also has a far-reaching political network, that includes people that have the President’s ear: One of her first hires is now the deputy communications director at the White House. I call Vanessa Lim up a few days later to ask her about Darcy Lewis.

“Darcy hired me freshly out of college, out of Culver, and we kind of bonded,” she tells me. “We were both young and idealistic, but that point Darcy was already knee deep into the whole Avengers business and it was great to learn from her. Our baptism of fire was obviously the whole Winter Soldier scandal that kept us busy for months on end and really shone a light on political transparency and such. Darcy did exemplary work then and it was just a joy to see and learn.”

“Do you ever wonder how you got the job?” I ask.

“All the time. The Avengers were responsible for the most visible shifts in politics in the last decade, people would’ve killed for a job with them. I met Darcy when she was a guest at Culver, her own Alma Mater, and I asked some academic questions. She told me to come apply for a job, but I didn’t think much of it, I didn’t think I’d made some kind of impression and that was just a kind thing of her to say. But yeah… I was wrong…”

“Was there ever any ill will towards Darcy because she presumably only got the job because she was Captain America’s girlfriend?”

“Sure there was,” Ms. Lim confirms, “but everybody who spent more than five minutes with her realized that she got it because of her skills, not her connections. And she and Steve, they argued about strategy the most anyway. It was such a joy to see them discuss things out loud on the rare occasions they didn’t have the same opinion. When they disagree, the don’t pull their punches. Thinking back to the few occasions where Captain America, brilliant military strategist, and Darcy Lewis, famed political strategist, discussed things like the protection of privacy versus the public’s right to know in the wake of the Winter Soldier revelations still gives me chills.”

“Who advocated what?” I cannot help but ask.

“That you have to ask them yourself,” Ms. Lim laughs. “But it’s amazing really. They can have a very heated discussion about political issues during work hours and then go home and not talk about it and have the perfect, loving relationship. Enviable, really. But then, their relationship was always non-conformist anyway.”

~*~

It’s hard to talk about Darcy Lewis without mentioning her significant other, since much of her professional work involves him to a very high degree. She’s remarkably open about it, too.

“It’s a weird thing…” she tells me, when I ask her if she minds that Captain America comes up all the time even though this piece is meant to be about her, “in the public eye I do not exist without Steve. So no, I don’t mind. In the media I am basically defined by my relationship status,” she says without malice. “And by my sartorial choices. Oh, and obviously my abdomen and my left ring finger. But in the same vein Steve is always the Captain to them. We both have a tabloid persona.”

“But even in the more serious pieces you are mentioned in conjunction with him 99% of the time.”

“I try not to let that define me,” she shrugs it off. “He’s the more interesting one anyway. I am basically a desk jockey while he saves the world. And I wouldn’t have this job without him either, so I certainly get that most of the questions pertain to my partner in life and crime as well. But I am not defined by him. I am my own entity. It’s the media that doesn’t get it.”

“Do you ever get used to the tabloid scrutiny?”

She shakes her head no. “You don’t get used to it. You simply have to accept it and not let it bother you – as difficult as that sometimes is. Strangely enough Steve and I, we have the highest profile out of all. The majority of the Avengers are coupled up these days and nobody makes a secret out of it, still Steve and I, we are even higher on the visibility spectrum than Pepper and Tony. It takes a long time to get used to being photographed, while buying groceries – if ever. It’s nothing newsworthy really, our lives are so boring and ordinary.”

“You must’ve felt very smug when you managed to keep your first pregnancy a secret the entire time,” I point out.

“Honestly, we didn’t try to keep my first pregnancy entirely out of the spotlight. It just… happened. We just assumed that somebody would spot it in my fourth or fifth month, but it never materialized. So we said nothing, until the baby was born. And now half of the world thinks that Lizzy is some kind of super powered Asgardian space princess Steve and I had to adopt as part of an intergalactic peace agreement and are passing off as our own daughter,” she grins.

“You are very zen about it.”

“I feel that this is the point where I say something very quote worthy about loving yourself and not taking the media into account, but the truth is: It’s been hard and it will continue to be hard and there are days I am still flabbergasted by the absolute bullshit the 24-hour news cycle can generate. I try to take it with good humor, mostly.”

Still, she makes no secret out of the fact that she struggled with her sudden celebrity status.

“This is why I don’t have any close friends from my time at Columbia. I was too suspicious of everybody approaching me.”

~*~

When I arrive the next day, for my second day of shadowing, Darcy looks more relaxed and rested.

“You look better,” I tell her honestly.

“Thanks, Steve returned home last night. Fell into bed at 2 in the morning, dead to the world but was wrestling the kids this morning like nothing happened. Super serum, I’m telling you.”

“Do you worry about him?”

“Constantly. I know it’s not rational, but… that’s how it is.” She shrugs.

“Anything you need to handle today, now that he’s returned from a mission?”

“No, it’s just the same old, same old. He didn’t save the world or anything, so his mission is basically a non-issue.”

“But you cannot tell me exactly what he did?” I ask.

“No, I cannot. It was a cooperative mission with foreign law enforcement and is ongoing so it requires a great deal of stealth – and involves a lot of ‘we have to leave now in the middle of the night’ missions.”

“Do you deal with other agency heads, too?”

“You mean if I’ve spoken with the director of the FBI, NSA, CIA and the like?”

“Yes.”

“I can neither deny nor confirm that.” She grins very widely. “But I can tell you that running missions is Maria Hill’s job, not mine.”

“Does it sometimes occur to you how unreal your life is? Dealing with superheroes and all that? You just quoted a very clichéd movie trope and it didn’t sound that out of the ordinary in your line of work.”

“Unreal? Not any more, but the first years have been hard,” she admits. “Between the threats and the political issues… I’d love to say that nothing can faze me anymore, but if I did that, skies would probably open next week and a super villain would reverse time and reality and I would’ve totally jinxed it.”

Later that day I get to sit in on a meeting between Pepper Potts and Darcy Lewis, which is like a feminist’s dream come true. It’s clear that the women have a great friendship but also a large degree of professional respect between them. Stark Industries – which bankrolls the Avengers – has continued to thrive, thanks to the women in charge. Darcy makes no secret out of the fact that she and CEO Pepper Potts are close and constantly plotting things.

“We were so lucky to snatch Darcy up directly after college,” Pepper will tell me later. “She has shaped the public perception of superheroes like no other person. The Avengers wouldn’t be the accepted unit they are today if it weren’t for her. The way she handled and handles both public and Capitol Hill: marvelous.”

The Avengers are a major political player, mostly thanks to Darcy Lewis, who is a political powerhouse, a brilliant strategic mind when it comes to political negotiations and showcasing her group’s political prowess. She’s also a strong advocate for transparency and makes everything that she can reveal about the group’s actions without endangering national safety public.

“It’s just a matter of accountability,” she shrugs. “And a matter of not wanting to repeat past mistakes. By the time the Hydra leak happened half of the Avengers at that time, that is Steve, Natasha and Clint, were in SHIELD’s employ. We didn’t really want to become another SHIELD. It’s also basic human decency to not keep information from people, information they have a right to know, they should know. If you don’t know anything you are easier to scare into submission. And ignorance is fertile ground for fear-mongering. Information breeds confidence, silence breeds fear.”

~*~

Our next day interview is cancelled because there is some kind emergency. What emergency I am never told and even though I follow the news closely, there isn’t anything that would need the Avenger’s intervention. It will remain a mystery.

It contradicts what Darcy so eloquently told me only the day before, but she’s actually apologetic when I bring it up.

“I hate the ‘it’s a matter of national security’ excuse as much as you do, but it is a matter of national security. It’s a thin line… I’m really sorry about this. But once this has been dealt with, you should come over for dinner.”

In the meantime I’m interviewing more people about Darcy Lewis.

“Darcy was always a tad too idealistic to be a political scientist,” one of her former professors at Culver says. “She was never content with the political mudslinging. So I guess working with superheroes to save the world is perfect for her.”

“Do you know what her alternative plan was? If she hadn’t met a Norse god in the desert of New Mexico?”

“I think at some point she considered going to law school, become a lawyer like her father, work in non-profit I guess, but then things changed, obviously.”

I also manage to get a hold of Dr. Eric Selvig, another famous astrophysicist who worked with Darcy Lewis and Dr. Jane Foster.

“Darcy is a brilliant organizer and she just deals with humans extremely well. And aliens, too, now that I think about it,” he says. “But it’s no accident that some of Jane’s most significant discoveries happened when Darcy was with us. Not that Jane isn’t a scientist without equal on her field, but Darcy kept us all in line, made sure that we were human and everything.”

~*~

And then I’m invited for dinner.

Again I knock on the door of the Brooklyn townhouse and this time the door is thrown open and Captain America appears. Well, Steven Rogers. He’s probably not Captain America, when he’s sporting a Henley and low-hung jeans and is not wearing any shoes.

“Come on in,” he says with a smile and I need to gather my thoughts for a moment. Also, I need to pick up my jaw from the floor, because… Captain America. As much as Darcy and I have talked about him and as much as I’ve read about him, meeting him in person is still quite the experience. He looks at me, expectantly. “Darcy is running late. As usual,” he then explains, “but should be here any second now.”

I manage to say something polite and follow him inside. The first thing that catches my attention is the shield casually leaning against the couch. The second thing I see is James Buchanan Barnes aka the Winter Soldier, cybernetically enhanced master assassin outside on the patio, playing with their oldest daughter, Lizzy. The third thing I notice is Captain America cooking.

I just stare at the scene before me numbly. Darcy mentioned that they are boring and ordinary, but I didn’t expect _that_.

Thankfully Darcy appears before I can make a total idiot out of myself. She comes home, greets her children and her partner and then looks at me questioningly.

“Are you okay?” she asks.

“Yeah, just overwhelmed. I didn’t expect that,” I say, gesturing at the scene before me. “Is this a ploy? You are portraying the perfect family, just for me, for the article. Including Captain America, Steve Rogers, as a stay-at-home dad?”

Captain America snorts. “If this were a ploy, I would’ve worn a frilly apron,” he then answers.

“No, this is really how we are,” Darcy insists. “Steve is responsible for the family dinner.”

“Darcy cannot cook to save her life,” he says cheekily, to which she immediately objects. “If it were up to her, we would be starving by the end of the week.”

“He’s messing with you. I can cook, very well, too. He just likes playing the stay-at-home-dad. And I humor him.”

“Stay-at-home-dad with a very specific skill set,” I point out, still mystified by their banter.

“Yeah, I make a mean lasagna,” he replies with the clear implication that he doesn’t want to talk shop.

I observe the couple in silence for a while and then look outside to watch the infamous Winter Soldier regale Captain America’s oldest daughter with animal noises.

James Buchanan Barnes is the most elusive of the Avengers these days. Which is strange, because at the same time we know all about him, his past at least. But he keeps out of the spotlight and doesn’t talk to the press and is not part of the public discussion any more. He’s known to be a champion for several charities aimed at veterans and rumor has it that he is a talented engineer who is – together with Tony Stark – revolutionizing the development of cybernetic prostheses.

I ask myself if his presence is by design or not. Darcy Lewis is, after all, an extremely savvy media professional. But then, it doesn’t feel forced. He clearly adores Lizzy (his godchild as I will find out later), and the affection is mutual. She adores him and refers to him as “Uncle Buck” throughout.

“Contrary to popular belief I am not a natural with children,” Captain America says when he catches my gaze. And he’s right. I remember those pictures of him holding crying toddlers during his USO days. “But Bucky… he’s perfect with them. We immediately ganged up on him to exploit him as our nanny. He took to Lizzy so naturally, it’s almost enviable. He’s here at least two times a week.”

“He’s a total third wheel,” Darcy jokes. “We just keep him around so we can go on date night every now and then.”

“Now I simply have to ask why you two don’t get married,” I say. Because that’s been a matter for some debate, most of it irritatingly public. The two continue to defy convention by not getting married. Captain America having children out of wedlock sent conservatives into overload for a few weeks at least.

“Marriage was never really something we considered, I guess?” Darcy says with a shrug and a glance at her significant other. “Nothing we wanted or needed.”

“We are privileged enough that we don’t need a license,” Steve Rogers explains, “white, heterosexual partnership, nuclear family, rich enough…”

“We both are not really religious anymore and marriage as an institution: we’ve seen institutions topple and then in the end it’s just a piece of paper, so…”

“And I like the term partner,” he smirks, “it could mean that we are robbing banks together, too.”

That moment James Barnes comes back into the house, Lizzy riding on his shoulders. If your meeting with Captain America’s real life persona Steve Rogers is not at all what you expect, you are in for a deep plunge when you meet the Winter Soldier out of his uniform. With his history you expect him to be a solemn, silent, withdrawn person. But no, he’s a total charmer, a real ladies’ man. He oozes charisma. And he and Steve Rogers clearly share a bond that is deeper than friendship (not surprisingly considering their backstory), but the amount of teasing that goes on (all PG friendly!) still takes you unaware.

Where is Darcy in all this, you might ask. She sits by in good humor and lets it all happen.

“When I first started dating Steve I knew that he comes with a lot of baggage,” she later confides. “And that includes that tall, dark-haired former assassin currently sitting in our living room. He and Steve share a bond that I cannot even fathom to understand.”

“So, you said that me being alone with the two super soldiers just for a few moments showcasing how perfect everything is, was not a ploy,” I say without accusation, “but you are using this opportunity to show how well James Buchanan Barnes is doing and all?”

Darcy denies it immediately. “Actually: no. I am not _that_ obvious. If we’d wanted to shape the perception that way, we would’ve done something with Bucky alone. I could’ve convinced him to do a one-on-one piece or a talk show interview or something. He wouldn’t enjoy it, but he would’ve done it.”

“But why did you chose me? Talk to me? Grant me access? You’ve been trying to stay away from the press circuit for years. Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Pepper Potts, Jane Foster, even the Black Widow have done pieces for the press but never you. This is the first that focuses on you alone. Why now?”

“You basically already mentioned it: It was my turn. All the others have done publicity pieces, I haven’t. Every few years we do something, not to remain in the spotlight, but to remind people that we are all human. That we are not a threat.”

“So, that’s your ulterior motive?”

“Yes,” she simply says.

“And it’s also not a distraction from anything? Or to sell something? Is there going to be a big reveal next month?”

“No, because I cannot influence when you will publish this story. For what it’s worth, you can leave it on your desk for a year. This time it wouldn’t work as a distraction.”

Still, I point out to Darcy that she is a professional and that I know she did not accidentally “spill” the gender of her second child and it’s safe to assume that Thor “accidentally” revealing that she was pregnant to begin with was not really an accident either.

Darcy smiles widely and shrugs. “I’m good at my job,” is all she says. “And using the private to divert from the political, it’s a tactic that works. We’ve done it several times, not only with my pregnancy but with other things…”

“So you cannot tell me what you diverted from?”

“No, I cannot. National security again, I’m sorry. It’s really a terrible excuse for someone who’s known to champion transparency… But I’m sorry. But still, this is not a distraction piece. This is just a piece to keep people in the loop. At a point, even before I began dating Steve, I realized that the more we try to keep things private, the more people will lunge at news – that’s how I ended up in a totally fabricated tabloid affair with Captain America to begin with. So we’ll grant controlled access so that people will leave us alone for a little while. I mean, if you mention that Steve cooks in your article, at least half a dozen news outlets will headline with ‘the star spangled man with a pan’ the next few hours and days, but they’ll not headline with how I’m tearing the Avengers apart or how Steve and I are on the brink of a very acrimonious split.”

“But do you really care?”

“Not about the tabloids. I would estimate that over 95 percent of what’s said about us is entirely untrue. The stories come in predictable circles, too: we’re getting married, we’re separating, I’m pregnant, we’re getting married. But, you know, with all the coverage that _is_ going on, now and then you have to set the record straight, adjust the narrative and that’s what I’m doing. This is how I am. This is how we are. We are not as perfect as we are sometimes portrayed and we are also not as terrible as some people have condemned us to be. This is us. We are normal, happy, fallible. And that’s the only point I’m trying to bring across.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~Don't forget the give away: Find the obscure West Wing quote and I'm going to write a Steve/Darcy story for you! (No ABO, non-con, OT3 or smut though.)~~ Done! Ashley Wells down in the comments found it!
> 
> Steve’s icon in that one embedded tweet is from [here](https://ancientgate.dreamwidth.org/4476.html) (no 6). This is again from A-Babies vs. X-Babies.
> 
> I usually don’t post other people’s baby pictures, but yeah, [that’s the picture accompanying Steve’s tweet about Elizabeth Jane.](http://ihadfaith.tumblr.com/post/124369814880)
> 
> At some point in the future Steve and Bucky get some award, [this is how they look like then.](http://beardedchrisevans.tumblr.com/post/125963148484)

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to find me and say hi: I'm [amerna](http://amerna.tumblr.com/) on tumblr. I promise, I don't bite!


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